Dokyusei
by Nana
Summary: Kagome's the notsonew girl in school! As Kagome learns of Inu Yasha's past relationship with Kikyou, Sango tries to outwit Miroku, with disastrous results. An AU fic, chapter 18 is up! Pls. R
1. Higurashi

Dokyusei  
  
by Nana  
  
*************  
  
Whee! Welcome to my first Alternative Universe (AU) fic! It's filled with inconsistencies so please bear with me! I will have to look in deeper on Japanese high school customs. Will fix things up in a jiffy! I just had this weird idea and out popped this fanfic!  
  
Disclaimer: Inu Yasha is absolutely the best manga there is, be it staged in the Sengoku Jidai as Rumiko Takahashi wants it, or in the immediate present as some of us would like it! Of course, it belongs 100% to the great Takahashi-sensei. This unworthy writer is just borrowing.  
  
*************  
  
The girl stopped as the looming façade of Sengoku High School came into view. Like almost all high schools in Japan, it had stamped on it the generic, gray cement-and-stone look on the outside. In fact, it reminded her very much of her old high school, right down to the sound of the school bell as it heralded another busy day. Flocks of chattering students, the boys in sedate black, the girls in dark green-and-white uniforms, drifted by her.  
  
She sighed, thinking it was inevitable. When her father was promoted to his firm's Tokyo office, of course it meant the family had to move to the metropolis. She should by all rights be thrilled.  
  
Well, I am, she thought. Tokyo had been so much fun, albeit expensive. There were so many things to see, so many things to do and try out. She had enjoyed herself. But this was her first day in a new school, so of course she was nervous. Nothing strange about that, really.  
  
But who knows what will await me behind these walls? The girl thought, brightly. It' s not really all that bad!  
  
With this, sixteen year old Higurashi Kagome took a deep breath, and proceeded to march into her new alma mater.  
  
*****  
  
Being a freshman certainly is trying at times, thought Kagome as she crossed the wide campus lawn to the other building.  
  
Apparently, freshmen took their classes on the ground floor, in the annex building--not the front end of the school. This meant she was going to be a little late, as she had to ask around for the quickest way to get there, and to maneuver her way past the campus lawn, past the gymnaseum, the patch of trees which served as the botanical garden, and straight on into the annex building.  
  
Judging from the way her path was devoid of people, Kagome could say classes were indeed starting. Oh, well…  
  
With that, she tried to walk faster, swiftly covering the lawn, but as she reached for the trees in the Botanical Garden, she noted with some surprise that she was not the only one who was late. Leaning on the trunk of a huge tree was a boy.  
  
A strange one, at that.  
  
He had on the black uniform just as the rest of the boys did, but his hair was white, and he kept it long, to compare with school standards. He appeared to be…sleeping.  
  
Now, Kagome could not say she was a snoop by nature, but she stopped anyway to take in this rather weird spectacle. The guy had his arms crossed on his chest, his chin tilting down to reach his chest, and his eyes were closed. His long white hair whispered gently across his face. He looked so… peaceful and still.  
  
He really is sleeping…! Kagome thought, incredulously. Perhaps he doesn't know what time it is…  
  
Stepping forward cautiously, she cleared her throat. "A-no…excuse me…" she said uncertainly. "Erm…you'd better hurry up or you'll be late for…"  
  
She stopped when she realized the boy did not appear to have heard her. Standing there, Kagome could not help but feel…well, weird…  
  
Never mind, she thought, annoyance starting to creep in. She resumed walking, away from the boy. It's bad enough to be late first day of school, there's no way I have to make myself extra late just because I have to go wake some weirdo who's taking a nap this early in the morning!  
  
Still…  
  
She stole a look back at the tree.  
  
Who can he possibly be?  
  
******  
  
Kagome did manage to get to her class, and in no time at all was standing at the front of the blackboard while her homeroom teacher, Mrs. Kaede, introduced her around.  
  
"Well, Higurashi, you may sit down. You can choose one of the vacant tables at the back," said the elderly teacher.  
  
Kagome made her way to the back of the classroom amidst curious and interested murmurs.  
  
She finally sat down near a girl whose long dark hair was tied up in a high ponytail. She leaned over to whisper to Kagome, "Hi, Higurashi-kun. It's nice to have you with us."  
  
"Please, my name is Kagome," returned Kagome, smiling.  
  
The girl smiled back. "I'm Mikagi Sango."  
  
They didn't have much time to talk, as Mrs. Kaede took out their textbook and started the lesson by scrawling across the blackboard.  
  
The hushed atmosphere didn't last, however, when the door to the room suddenly slid open.  
  
Kagome turned to the direction where all heads had swiveled, and felt her mouth open in surprise.  
  
There, framed against the doorway, was the strange white-haired boy she had seen earlier.  
  
******************  
  
Dokyusei means "classmates" ( 


	2. Rebel

Dokyusei  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Rebel  
  
*******************  
  
Kagome stared at the newcomer in surprise. He stood in the doorway, hands in his pockets, appearing unmindful of the uneasy whispers starting in the classroom.  
  
Awake, he appeared totally different. Watching him now, Kagome wondered if the boy she had seen earlier was but a figment of her imagination. There was nothing peaceful or still about this person. Everything about him--from his stance to the startling color of his eyes (a curious shade of amber)--suggested the brooding presence of a restless, dangerous predator.  
  
Kagome turned to Sango in even greater surprise when she heard the girl sigh.  
  
"Late, as usual," announced Sango, cupping her chin in one hand. Judging from her bored tone, this spectacle was nothing new or remarkable.  
  
Mrs. Kaede was equally unimpressed. "Inu Yasha, if you persist in coming in late, I suggest you do not come to class at all," she said in a weary voice.  
  
The guy shot her a dry look before smirking. "Who's making me, anyway? Definitely not you, Kaede Sensei-Baba!" he said, derisively.  
  
"OSUWARI!" shouted Mrs. Kaede, having just had enough.  
  
The boy leisurely detached himself from the doorway and slouched to an empty chair on a far corner of the room, several seats away from Kagome and Sango. Having settled down, he continued to stare broodingly at the back of the chair before him.  
  
Mrs. Kaede ignored him and proceeded with the lesson as though there had been no interruption of any kind at all.  
  
Kagome shook her head in disbelief. "Is he for real?" she whispered to Sango.  
  
"Well, Inu Yasha might think he's all that and more, but basically he's okay," Sango said, shrugging. "A word of advice, Kagome: the people to watch out for in this school are those way up there who appear quite prim and proper and who appear to follow the rule book word for word. Believe me, they're the ones who are pulling the strings backstage."  
  
Kagome was not sure what to make of this, but she had no choice but to contain her curiosity until recess.  
  
***********  
  
Sango was kind enough to offer her a quick tour around the school during their break time, and tried to answer her questions one by one. It turned out that Sango belonged to the track and field team, and was quite an accomplished runner.  
  
"Oh no!" cried Kagome. "Does this mean we won't be having P.E. together after classes?"  
  
"I'm afraid not," said Sango. "I'm also exempted from the electives-- home economics classes and all that, but I'm sure you'll do fine. I mean-- me, in cooking class? I can't imagine!"  
  
Kagome had to smile at her friend.  
  
Sango walked on, chattering and pointing to the various club offices on the second floor of the main building. They slowed down when they neared the room marked "DEBATE TEAM". The door was open, and just inside, they could see a couple of girls giggling over someone sitting behind the main table.  
  
A pleasant sounding male voice was admonishing, "now, now girls, don't worry! Everyone's going to have her turn! I'll be right with you!"  
  
A squeal of excited laughter.  
  
Kagome could briefly see a guy with dark hair tied at the back in a tiny ponytail bent over the table. A moment later, somebody moved over to block her view completely.  
  
Kagome saw Sango's face screw up in disgust. "Do you remember what I told you earlier about being careful of certain people in this school?" She asked Kagome.  
  
"Hai," replied Kagome.  
  
"Well, you'd better be careful of that guy"--a jerk of Sango's thumb indicated the guy inside the Debate Team room--"because he's a certified lech."  
  
"What's his name?" Kagome wanted to know.  
  
"Fukuzawa Miroku," replied Sango shortly. "He's one batch ahead of us, and recently got elected as Debate Team president."  
  
"I heard Sengoku High School has got a very good debate team," Kagome said. "They won the regional championship last year, right?"  
  
"When you get to know this guy, you'll find out why," answered Sango dryly. "He's got a tongue in his head alright."  
  
Kagome stared at Sango for a moment, but decided wisely not to press the matter further. After all, it was not her business to know why Sango apparently had her knife into the guy.  
  
They crossed over to the other end of the corridor, and Sango went pass the Central Student Committee office so fast Kagome thought she was running a race. It was just a stroke of bad luck, though, that she was spotted anyway.  
  
The door opened, and somebody said quietly, "Sango, how very nice of you to come by. We need to talk."  
  
Kagome watched as Sango froze. The tall, dark boy who emerged was surely a senior. It was also evident by the way he carried himself that he was somebody to reckon with. He was also quite handsome, come to think of it. His wavy dark hair was almost as long as Inu Yasha's, and the regular features of his face was serious as he regarded the fuming Sango.  
  
"I just want to wish you good luck in your upcoming race," he said, "and I hope your team has settled its internal problems sufficiently to ensure that you guys be able to concentrate in winning us a victory this time."  
  
"Oh, there's no internal problem," piped Sango a little too sweetly. "The problem is all external, as you very well know!"  
  
But the boy was no longer interested in Sango. He turned to Kagome.  
  
"Well! I believe I have not seen you before!" he said, extending his hand. "New student?"  
  
"Y-yes. My name is Higurashi. Higurashi Kagome."  
  
"Higurashi. Welcome to Sengoku High School." His handshake was firm. "I am Mizuno Naraku, president of the CSC, at your service. Be sure to let me know if you have any problems settling in."  
  
The girls walked back to class in silence. Obviously, something had upset Sango, as the girl was no longer as talkative as she was before. She merely shook her head when Kagome asked what was wrong.  
  
"It's really nothing," said Sango. "Listen, Kagome, do you mind if you go ahead to lunch later? I promise I'll catch up. I just need to do something first."  
  
***************  
  
And so that was how Kagome ended up having to spend her first lunchtime in the school by herself.  
  
Oh well…Sango won't take long…she thought as she crossed the wide lawn to the other side of the school where the cafeteria was situated.  
  
She was nearing the trees now, and despite herself, she briefly wondered if she was going to see that strange Inu Yasha again.  
  
Much to her disappointment, he was not there, but a moment later, it did not matter anymore, as she had other, more urgent matters suddenly in mind. A pair of hands reached out from behind the tree and grabbed her by the arm. Before Kagome could register what was going on, she was pinned to the trunk of the tree, a hand on either side of her head, and found herself face to face with a pair of ungainly punks leering at her.  
  
"Woohoo! Lookie what we have here! Man, the boss is right. She really is a beauty!" whistled one cheerfully as the other kept a lookout. The two didn't seem to be much older than she was. One had a Mohawk hairstyle, while the one talking to her had this shabby hairdo to match his shabby, partly open uniform.  
  
"Who are you?!" gasped Kagome, outrage slowly starting to seep in.  
  
"Now don't you worry--we're not going to do anything--the boss says not to scare you. We just wanna know your name--boss's orders," said her captor. "Now you be a good girl and--"  
  
"Since when," said a cold voice behind them, "did that wimp of a boss of yours need anything from Kikyou?"  
  
The boy holding Kagome against the tree sprang back, alarmed.  
  
"I-Inu Yasha!"  
  
Kagome turned to see him leaning against the tree, very near her. He had his dark gaze on the two cowering kids.  
  
"Hey, l-listen man, I think we've got a major misunderstanding here!" cried Shaggy.  
  
"Y-yeah!" cried Mohawk. " We're not talking to any Kikyou--ACK!!!"  
  
They turned to flee as Inu Yasha advanced menacingly.  
  
He stood there a minute longer, and Kagome could hear him muttering under his breath, "That stupid Kouga…"  
  
And then…  
  
"What do those guys want from you, and why didn't you come this morning? I thought you wanted to talk at last," he said to her, his back still turned away.  
  
Huh?  
  
"Well, what's going on, Kik--" He finally turned to face her when she didn't say anything, and what he was going to say died before he could even utter it as he took her in.  
  
He blinked, then his eyes narrowed.  
  
"Kik…you?" He said slowly.  
  
"I'm afraid you're mistaken," said Kagome hesitantly, wondering if he was going to kill her. "I'm not Kikyou…"  
  
"What do you mean you're not Kikyou?!" exploded Inu Yasha. "So now you're taking me in for a fool?!"  
  
Kagome's eyes widened at that outburst, then suddenly she let fly something of her own.  
  
"What on earth are you talking about?! Why would I lie over something like that?! Of course I'm not Kikyou because I'm Higurashi Kagome! Ka-go-me!" She shouted back  
  
Inu Yasha cringed, and took one step back.  
  
Kagome continued, "What do you think you were doing, frightening people like that?! Why do you need to shout, you BAKA!"  
  
…?! …!!  
  
How could it be possible…and yet, one closer look at the girl…  
  
Inu Yasha recovered slightly, and having realized that he, indeed, had made a mistake, turned his head away. "You're right, "he muttered. "You're not Kikyou. You cannot possibly be Kikyou. How could I mistake you for her? She's so much more feminine and graceful than you are."  
  
And without so much as an apology, he walked off.  
  
N-N-N-NANI….?!  
  
"Hey!" cried Kagome, an angry vein popping at the side of her head. "What's THAT supposed to mean? Where are you going?! We're not yet through here! HEY!!!"  
  
And she began to follow him to the other building.  
  
*****************  
  
Still thinking about the next move. Actually I'm trying to borrow situations from the manga as accurately as possible to fit into the story. More to come! ( 


	3. Sukebe

Dokyusei  
  
by  
  
Nana  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Sukebe  
  
"Hey!" cried Kagome, marching behind the fuming boy as he quickly got into the main building.  
  
Why this rude, unspeakable…creep! Thought Kagome. After putting me through that shouting tirade, now he thinks he can just walk off and pretend nothing's happened…? NOT A CHANCE!!!!  
  
And what was all that about a certain Kikyou? Although her encounter with this Inu Yasha had not exactly been pleasant, Kagome really could not say it had not been interesting.  
  
Inu Yasha stopped only when he realized they were starting to attract attention. He whipped around, growling, "Just how long are you going to follow me around? If it's an apology you want, you may as well not bother: you're not going to get one!"  
  
Kagome could feel the hair on her nape stand on end. "Why you…you…!" She cast around for something really, really bad to say. Finally she settled for--"you…FREAK!!! You insolent jerk! For your information, I'm heading for the cafeteria!"  
  
Inu Yasha let out a smirk. "Feh! Well if you're not following me what're you doing here? The cafeteria is down the hall!"  
  
"Well, excuse me! I'm NEW HERE!" Kagome could not help but snap.  
  
"Fine. Have it your way," Inu Yasha said, his tone growing almost bored. "It's not like I care or anything."  
  
He turned away and walked off. Kagome could sense that her breathing had gone all erratic. With difficulty, she forced her balled fists to relax. With as much dignity as she could muster, she turned away and headed back where they came from, her chin lifted in the air.  
  
Inu Yasha heard her go, and it was not until he was sure she had turned the corner and disappeared did he risk looking back at the corridor behind him.  
  
That girl…  
  
"Of course I'm not Kikyou because I'm Higurashi Kagome. KA-GO-ME!"  
  
She had looked so very much like HER, and yet she was so different. And the fact that he had missed that on first sight was enough to unnerve him terribly.  
  
"Kagome," he whispered, his tone almost apologetic.  
  
Half a building away, the bearer of that name was not feeling at all charitable with the guy in question.  
  
Why that miserable little…demon! She thought furiously as she yanked open the door and got into the cafeteria.  
  
************  
  
"…and with Ayaki going over that aspect of possible fallacies the other team might make, we're practically covered," said the rotund boy gleefully, pouring through his notes.  
  
His pony-tailed companion sighed. "Whatever," he said dully, his chin in his hand.  
  
"But, Fukuzawa-sama," whined the bespectacled boy in a high-pitched, wavering voice, "don't you find this exciting?"  
  
Miroku drew out another long-suffering sigh.  
  
"Hachi, if you really want to do me a favor, you can start by shooing these…girls away," he said softly, motioning to his side with great subtlety. There, attached to his left arm seemingly like a barnacle to a ship, was a giggling girl as round and shapeless as Hachi. Beside her were two more of Miroku's ardent admirers, both not exactly along his line of interest.  
  
Miroku struggled manfully to maintain a calm front as they pressed in, thrilled.  
  
"Why do these things have to happen to me?" He wondered briefly.  
  
A crash of metallic trays drew him out of his glum introspection, and as he saw the cause of the brief commotion among those queuing in line for food, he forgot all about his miserable lunch.  
  
"Who," he asked, pointing, "is that?"  
  
Hachi adjusted the thick, black rims of his glasses as he got a better look. "Hmm…never seen her before. Perhaps she's a new student, Fukuzawa-sama….Fukuzawa-sama?"  
  
But Miroku was already gone.  
  
*************************  
  
"Gomen nasai," Kagome said, embarrassed as a few people got down to help her with the trays she had knocked aside.  
  
Oh, jeez! Did she have to lose all her marbles today?  
  
She sighed unhappily as she got into line at the counter. She began piling food on her tray.  
  
No use getting all worked up over a jerk like that, she thought, shaking her head. But, really, just who does he think he is…?!  
  
She hardly gave her actions any thought, until somebody tapped her on the shoulder, and she heard a pleasant male voice distinctly say, "Hmm…from the look of things, would I be correct in my deduction that you're new here?"  
  
She turned to see violet eyes smiling back at her. The boy was a good head taller than she was. A handsome, serene face, calm intelligent violet eyes…and dark hair tied at the back in a very teeny ponytail. Now where had she seen this guy before…?  
  
Taking his cue from her confused look, he pointed to her tray. "You wouldn't be picking this vegetable if you've stayed here longer," he said simply. "Practically indigestible."  
  
Kagome blinked. It's that debate team guy. The one Sango had her knife into. He followed her over to a vacant table and sat down across her.  
  
"And do you always spot new people like this--thru the veggies they pick over lunch?" Kagome asked, smiling in spite of herself.  
  
"Well, not really," said the guy thoughtfully. "But I could swear I know all the pretty girls around here."  
  
He smiled when Kagome's faded, to be replaced by doubt and disbelief. He really is sukebe, isn't he?  
  
"Fukuzawa Miroku," he said, sticking his hand out and catching hers easily. "And you must be…?"  
  
"Higurashi…" Kagome was not sure she would want to say anything further.  
  
"Higurashi. A heavenly name. Welcome to Sengoku High," he said seriously enough. "I realize that this is pretty soon, but I have a question--rather a request--for you to consider…"  
  
Kagome felt his hand tighten around hers. "Higurashi, would you like to go out with me sometime?" He asked.  
  
Kagome's eyes grew round and wide. Before she could pull away, he rushed in, "I know it's really very sudden, but even if it's just once…"  
  
"You sure know how to charm a girl with your question," remarked a voice dryly from behind them.  
  
Relieved, Kagome whipped around to find Sango there, a tray in hand.  
  
Miroku blinked. Without missing a beat, he got up to say, "Ah! I have to admit this is a day for new faces. You're a new student as well?"  
  
Kagome had to stifle a smile as she saw Sango's eyes narrow dangerously. Without taking her eyes off the lecherous creature, Sango said coldly, "Kagome, if you like there are OTHER tables where we can have a nice, peaceful lunch."  
  
They left Miroku looking almost mesmerized.  
  
Hachi soon rushed over. "Fukuzawa-sama!" he said.  
  
"Hachi," said Miroku thoughtfully. "Who is that girl over there?"  
  
Hachi turned to see Kagome and Sango laying down their trays on a nearby table. "You mean that girl with the long hair?" He asked.  
  
"I mean that girl with the ponytail," said Miroku, and Hachi looked up as he noted the deceptively idle tone his boss was using.  
  
"Oh. Her. Mikagi Sango?" Hachi rummaged around for his notes. "Not much on her--freshman, belongs to the track team. What do you want to know about her exactly?"  
  
Miroku smirked. "Everything," he said.  
  
*************************  
  
"I'm sorry," Sango sighed, shaking her head as she sat down.  
  
"Sorry about what?" asked Kagome in surprise.  
  
"Him," Sango made a small, derisive toss of the head to indicate Fukuzawa Miroku. "I mean, a few minutes a new girl gets left alone here and all the weirdos of this school just come rushing in…"  
  
Weirdos of this school…  
  
Which reminded her…  
  
"Sango-chan, do you know anyone named Kikyou?"  
  
*****************************  
  
Sukebe= lecherous (in Miroku's case, the usual stuff () 


	4. Games

Dokyusei  
  
by Nana  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Games  
  
"Sango-chan, do you know anyone named Kikyou?"  
  
The question effectively made Sango pause, her spoon halfway to her mouth. "Kikyou?" she asked, her eyes wide. "You mean Kitahara Kikyou?"  
  
"Kikyou-I-don't-know," Kagome said.  
  
But based on how that creep Inu Yasha had so familiarly used that name, she could tell HE knew loads about that girl.  
  
"Where did you hear that name?" was Sango's next question.  
  
Kagome sighed, thinking it was inevitable that Sango would work her way to this point. She told her about her lunchtime encounter with Inu Yasha.  
  
"Inu Yasha…mistook you for HER?" Sango sounded as though she could not believe it, then she leaned in more closely to take in Kagome's face.  
  
"Well…you do look a lot like her, come to think of it," Sango said, slowly. "Only, it's pretty weird; you'd think Inu Yasha himself would make that mistake…"  
  
She blinked as Kagome leaned in more closely, apparently impatient for her to continue.  
  
"Well, it was all such a muddled affair," Sango said. "The only ones who really know the story are Inu Yasha and Kikyou. At the start, Inu Yasha apparently hated the girl--come to think of it she's not really his type. Too serious and academic and all that. But then, things progressed, and sometimes they'd be seen going out, you know? And then, one day they just weren't talking to each other anymore."  
  
Kagome's could feel her eyebrow lifting at that account.  
  
"I know, I know," Sango said, waving a hand as she resumed eating. "Like I said, it was all very muddled. You would never get anything out of Inu Yasha, and everyone's too scared of him to try, anyway. As for Kitahara, well…she's not the talkative sort, so…"  
  
She shrugged. "Whatever happened, it was serious enough for Kitahara to ask for a transfer to another class."  
  
"You mean, you guys were all classmates?" Kagome asked. That was indeed very interesting.  
  
"Sure. She used to sit in front of me," Sango said.  
  
"Well, is she here now?" Kagome wanted to know, looking casually around. Actually, she reasoned out, she was not particularly interested in seeing this Kikyou, but if she were here, she might as well take the opportunity.  
  
"Umm, no," said Sango. "I don't think she eats lunch here."  
  
Kagome lapsed into thoughtful silence, thinking of the scrap of sentence Inu Yasha had been saying before he realized SHE was not Kikyou.  
  
…Why didn't you come this morning? I thought you wanted to talk at last…  
  
He sounded angry, that was true, but weren't those words obvious enough? Wasn't he thinking of a reconciliation?  
  
Curiouser and curiouser…and she, Higurashi Kagome, had to be sucked into the whole thing because she somehow resembled this mystery girl.  
  
Well, Kagome huffed, trying to shrug the matter off. It's not really any concern of mine what happens between Inu Yasha and Kikyou. Especially Inu Yasha.  
  
Yeah.  
  
And after what he made me go through today..!  
  
With that, Kagome lost no time in burying the troublesome problem of Inu Yasha into the back of her mind.  
  
So it was just her bad luck that everything came undone, when she ran into the mystery girl herself after lunch.  
  
She and Sango had dodged into the women's room to freshen up a bit before the afternoon's science lab class. Sango had gone into one of the cubicles, and Kagome was brushing her hair before the mirror when a girl went in.  
  
"Sumimasen," she murmured to Kagome, and opened the tap beside her.  
  
Kagome glanced at her, and did a double take as she took in the girl's appearance. There was something about this girl--and it was not just the fact she had dark hair as long as Kagome's--that was familiar. And it wasn't until Kagome glanced back at her reflection in the mirror that she noted the resemblance.  
  
The curves of their faces, the color of their skin, their build-- almost an exact match. But there were differences as well. The girl, although she may have eyes the same color and symmetry as Kagome's, had this look of intense calm and quiet about her which Kagome could almost describe as cold.  
  
Yes, definitely cold. Everything from the look in her eyes to her unhurried movements as she washed her hands in the sink.  
  
The girl appeared not to notice Kagome watching. After using the sink, she turned the tap off, got out her handkerchief, turned away, and walked out the comfort room without so much as a look around.  
  
"Kagome…"  
  
Kagome could see Sango's reflection in the mirror.  
  
"That's her, isn't she," Kagome said. It was more a statement rather than a query.  
  
"Hai."  
  
Kagome shrugged. "C'mon," she urged Sango. "We'll be late for class."  
  
As they walked down the corridor to the laboratory, Kagome could sense Sango watching her quizzically.  
  
"Right, Kagome! Snap out of it! So what about Kitahara Kikyou? Who was she to merit any space in your thoughts?" She told herself. "I'm sure Sango-chan's really confused."  
  
They passed by the main bulletin board, and a name there immediately caught her eye. It was on top of the freshmen's honors list.  
  
"Umm…well, she's our batch's number one student, too," affirmed Sango, sensing her thoughts.  
  
So WHAT? Sowhat sowhat sowhat?  
  
It was a good thing Sango could not read minds.  
  
**********************  
  
Kagome sighed as their Science teacher went on to explain that for the upcoming experiment, they had to be paired into couples--boy-girl groups, no less.  
  
"That way, we will facilitate the speed of the experiment, AND prevent the unfortunate incident of people being left off with no voluntary partners," Myouga-sensei said, his tone a little severe.  
  
"So here we go," said the old teacher, digging into a box of papers with names for the boys, and another box for the girls. He started calling out names.  
  
"Kami-sama," prayed Kagome, an unpleasant feeling starting to spread at the pit of her stomach.  
  
Judging from the way her day was going, why did she have this weird, horrible feeling--  
  
"Inu Yasha and Higurashi Kagome," Myouga-sensei announced.  
  
Kagome dropped her face into her hands. When it rains, it certainly pours, she thought, sourly.  
  
On the other end of the room, Inu Yasha was not looking thrilled himself. Kagome could feel her blood rising as she saw his dark scowl. How could he be so uncouth as to show the world he had a problem with her??? No, not with her, with somebody who looks like her????  
  
Well, she wasn't going to sink to his level, she decided. She wasn't even going to complain to the teacher, as was her original impulse. She was going to let this guy stew.  
  
As the class moved to their designated groups, Kagome affected an air of nonchalance.  
  
"Well, we can start by cleaning the utensils," she greeted Inu Yasha as he reluctantly joined her.  
  
Inu Yasha could not believe what she had just said, but before he could say anything, Kagome moved in, "you've got a problem with the grouping, I suggest you tell Myouga-sensei yourself."  
  
"You mean you don't mind us being group mates?" Inu Yasha said, disbelievingly.  
  
"I couldn't care less," said Kagome, opening her lab manual.  
  
If it's a sparring match he wants, she thought, grimly, he's got one. Let the games begin…  
  
************************  
  
After classes, the two girls walked across the lawn slowly. The shadows were growing longer.  
  
Kagome felt tired, but oddly satisfied, particularly with the afternoon classes. Perhaps her words had sunk in; Inu Yasha did not say so much as a single rude thing to her throughout the lab period.  
  
"Well, I'm sure this has been a long day for you," said Sango as they came to the point where they had to go separate ways. "Don't worry, though, things will get better."  
  
"Right," agreed Kagome.  
  
"And don't worry about Inu Yasha or Kitahara--think of them as nothing," advised Sango.  
  
"I'm not worrying," said Kagome.  
  
Sango smiled. "Good. I'll see you tomorrow, then."  
  
"Bye, Sango."  
  
It was certainly a strange day, thought Sango as she made for the gymnasium and the track grounds behind it. Made all the more strange by the events clustering around the arrival of Kagome….  
  
Up ahead, she caught sight of the lone figure making his way to the tracks, and she forgot about the day's events.  
  
"Takagi-senpai!" She called, smiling, as she recognized an upperclassman who was also a fellow runner.  
  
Takagi Toshiaki turned at the sound of her voice.  
  
"Oy, Sango-chan," he greeted her, stopping to wait for her. "Ready for practice.?"  
  
"Hai."  
  
"I hope you've gotten over what that idiot Mizuno Naraku told you earlier," he said. "Let's just concentrate and do our best, okay?"  
  
"Hai," said Sango, feeling more relaxed.  
  
They had known each other since junior high school, and it was to Toshi that she had run to during lunchtime to unburden herself over what Naraku had implicated in the corridor.  
  
"Well, let's meet here after we change costumes and let's go out for our usual run," said Toshi, as he branched off to the male dressing room.  
  
"Okay."  
  
He got back first, and waited outside the track oval for Sango.  
  
"Hey, Takagi!" Somebody called from the other end of the oval.  
  
Takagi grinned as he recognized the newcomer. "Hey!" He returned. "What're you doing here?"  
  
The newcomer held up a notebook. "Thanks for your Math notes. I forgot to return them to you in class."  
  
Sango emerged from the female dressing room, and started toward Takagi.  
  
Takagi had company, and the person was partially shielded from view. It was too late then for Sango to retreat when she caught sight of who it was. Miroku noted her hesitation with a great deal of interest.  
  
"Sango-chan!" Toshi said brightly. "I'm sure you know Fukuzawa Miroku here. He's my classmate. Fukuzawa, this is Mikagi-kouhai."  
  
Miroku gave her a smile. "We've…met," he told Toshi, who was oblivious of Sango's struggles to maintain a calm face.  
  
"Fukuzawa dropped by to return the notes he borrowed from me when he got sick," explained Toshi. "You guys wait here while I dump these in my bag."  
  
Sango would have wanted to follow him, but Miroku was ahead of her.  
  
"Sure. Take your time," he said as Toshi took off, effectively blocking Sango off.  
  
He turned back to her, suppressing a chuckle as he noted she had turned red.  
  
The game had begun…  
  
*************************  
  
Interesting thing about the social structure of Japanese high schools-- upperclassmen are called SENPAI (SEMPAI), and underclassmen are called KOUHAI--thanks for calling my attention to errors, everyone! 


	5. Pygmalion

Dokyusei  
  
by Nana  
  
Gomen! I can't help it! Sango and Miroku are absolutely my favorite couple, so this chapter will be devoted to their…er, interaction.  
  
CHAPTER 5  
  
Pygmalion  
  
Miroku suppressed a chuckle when he saw the girl blush a deep red.  
  
So he had not imagined it.  
  
The fact that he was able to elicit this kind of reaction from her was enough to prove his point--an investigation into this girl was clearly in order.  
  
Now that they were face to face, Miroku realized with some surprise that the girl was pretty. How or why he was not aware of this when he first saw her in the canteen was beyond him. To be perfectly truthful, it was not her features that had drawn his attention. What he had found intriguing had been the cold disapproval so evident in her voice. He had to admit THAT was new.  
  
"What are you doing here?" hissed Sango as soon as Toshi was out of hearing range.  
  
Miroku raised an eyebrow. "No senpai to add to that sentence, huh?" He asked with a hint of mockery in his voice.  
  
Much to his amusement, he saw her brows twitch, but to her credit she did not rise to the bait.  
  
"Forgive me if it were a memory lapse on my part, but do I know you? The way you have spoken earlier gave me an impression that you seem to know me very well," Miroku said, the tone of his voice masking the fact that every word he had uttered was calculated to draw out a reaction from his prey.  
  
Sango responded, "You wouldn't know me. And no, I don't know you very well. I don't have to. I know enough."  
  
She realized she was being rude, but the fact that he even dared to show up here to taunt her was an affront of the highest level.  
  
As it was, there was no need for camouflage. And therefore, no need for pleasantries.  
  
"Really?" There was a distinct glint in his eyes. This was getting to be more and more interesting. " And how did that come about?"  
  
"Look," Sango said bluntly. "To put it simply, your reputation precedes you. The only reason why I spoke up was because Kagome's new here--you're being unfair. Give her a break, she doesn't know the ropes to this school yet."  
  
Miroku laughed softly, his violet eyes hardening at her words. "And do you always judge a person by his reputation?"  
  
"Well, judging from what you were doing to Kagome at the canteen, your reputation held true, didn't it?" She flashed, annoyance getting the better of her. "And if you--"  
  
She stopped as she realized what he was doing. He was provoking her, compromising her, enjoying himself at her expense. In short, he was playing with her! Anger abruptly flared inside her.  
  
"What do you want with me?" She snapped.  
  
His smile widened. "Do you really want to know, Mikagi Sango?" he asked. "But I think you already do, don't you? Back in the canteen, you started it all by calling to me. Well, here I am."  
  
"I did NOT call to you, you…jerk!" sputtered Sango as his words hit home. The guy was hopelessly disgusting! How could he possibly…  
  
Miroku chuckled as Sango realized yet again she had been provoked by one of his tricks.  
  
She could feel the hair on her nape stand on end.  
  
The guy was implying she had willfully diverted his attention onto her, the lecherous creep! She had not thought of it that way at all! The only reason why she had spoken out was because he was at it with Kagome, a friend…  
  
Now, she briefly wondered if she had made a terrible mistake after all. This person was formidable. And right now, she had his full attention, alright.  
  
But Sango was not a girl to back down from anyone, although she realized she had to change tactics in this situation, and fast. Letting out another word against this master manipulator--captain of the debate team, for crying out loud!--would prove unwise. He was simply going to twist it around to serve his purposes.  
  
Defiantly, Sango stared back at him, her chin lifted. Miroku felt a flash of admiration for the girl.  
  
"Sango…" he breathed, staring at her intently. "An unusual name. Sango for coral. Seemingly fragile and delicate, yet hard as stone…"  
  
N-nani…?  
  
Sango was slowly finding it difficult to breathe, but she stubbornly held on, willing herself to meet his gaze.  
  
"The name suits you," he finished abruptly. Suddenly, he dropped his tone, and Sango stood there, dazed. She felt as though she had just come out of a heavy spell.  
  
"Tell Takagi I'll be going ahead. I suspect I shall be seeing more of you soon, Sango." A quiet, definite emphasis on her name, and then he had turned his back and was walking away, leaving Sango to deal with her confused thoughts as they came crashing in.  
  
************************  
  
Miroku crossed onto the other side of the track oval without looking back, feeling a strange elation coursing through him.  
  
Man, that felt good. That felt really, really good.  
  
It had been a long time since he had last flirted like that.  
  
And the girl Sango was showing a lot of promise of being more interesting than the girls he usually pursued and discarded. She was showing signs of being able to last a few rounds. He liked that.  
  
He strode over to where faithful Hachi was waiting for him.  
  
"How did it go, Fukuzawa-sama?" he piped in as Miroku approached.  
  
"Better than expected," he said, pleasantly. "What else have you got on her?"  
  
Hachi checked his notes. "Well, not much in the way of personal information. She's got a brother and a cat."  
  
"What's her relation with Takagi?" Miroku wanted to know.  
  
"Well, they were in the same junior high school together, both also in the track and field team. So they must've known each other for quite a while."  
  
"Yet Takagi has a girlfriend," observed Miroku.  
  
Hachi looked up. "There's no indication that Mikagi and Takagi like each other that way," he said, logically.  
  
Miroku's eyes narrowed as he remembered how Sango had looked as she approached Takagi. Well, that was before she realized HE was there. Her reaction to his presence was quite another matter, entirely.  
  
Now why did he get the impression there was something in the way she had looked at Takagi?  
  
At any rate, it was too early to tell.  
  
"Fill me up on what she does after school," he instructed Hachi. "Everything--where she hangs out, her favorite color, food, movie--the works."  
  
Nothing can galvanize Fukuzawa Miroku into action as much as a challenge can. What he had in his hands was a girl of stone. It's time to show her who Pygmalion was-- whether she likes it or not.  
  
********************  
  
According to Greek/Roman legend, Pygmalion was a gifted sculptor who carved himself the statue of the ideal woman, and…well, I think you know how this legend went about! ( Variations made on the basic theme of transformation and all that. 


	6. His World

Dokyusei  
  
by Nana  
  
Chapter 6  
  
His World  
  
Neither girl felt like talking the next day. Sango, for reasons which she did not divulge, sat in a corner of the classroom, trapped firmly in her own world. She would frequently sigh, and sometimes, a spasm of rage would cross her melancholy features, making Kagome think twice about asking her what was wrong.  
  
For Kagome's part, it was a shock for her to discover that they were going to have back-to-back periods of Science Lab first thing in the morning.  
  
"Why~~~~?" She wailed, inwardly as the session started.  
  
And to be expected, Inu Yasha was not helping things at all.  
  
He had gotten over being silent (Kagome doubted very much if that was in his nature, to begin with), but at the rate he was going, Kagome wished he would just revert to his silent nastiness the day before.  
  
After being addressed alternately as "Hey", "Oy", and "Hey, you" for the fifth time, Kagome turned her back stiffly on her partner, concentrating in mixing reagent X with the appropriate buffer.  
  
"Hey, you!" Inu Yasha called again, annoyed. "Did you hear what I just said?"  
  
Kagome shot him a look that effectively made him freeze.  
  
"My name," she said, frigidly. "Is Higurashi. If you haven't gotten that name past that thick skull of yours, don't even bother talking to me. Don't talk to me, or look at me, or even do so much as get near me, OKAY?"  
  
Inu Yasha looked taken aback, before rallying with "FEH! WHO WANTS TO, ANYWAY???"  
  
"Inu Yasha, if you cannot keep quiet, I suggest you go out of the classroom," called Myouga-sensei from across the lab.  
  
Inu Yasha shot the elderly teacher a look of undisguised loathing before sitting down to glare at the boiling contents of the beaker before him.  
  
Kagome watched him from the corner of her eye, fuming. "He really thinks he looks SOOOO cool, playing the angry rebel, doesn't he?" She thought. "Well, he looks extremely baka, and I'm not going to let him get away with it!"  
  
She finished preparing the solution, and made her way to the boiling beaker, adding the specified number of drops indicated in the manual. She made it a point to ignore him, although she could sense him watching her.  
  
"Oy," he said a moment later.  
  
Her first impulse was to hurl the boiling beaker and its contents onto his face. She restrained herself.  
  
"Take it off," he continued.  
  
"ExCUSE me?" Kagome asked impatiently, despite herself.  
  
"That." He indicated the strip of white ribbon that held her long hair in a loose, low ponytail. "Take it off."  
  
"Why should I?" She asked, suspiciously, before it dawned on her that, with her hair tied like that, she resembled someone. In fact, she had seen that particular someone only the day before, in the girls' comfort room.  
  
A vein broke out at Kagome's temple. "Why?" she shot back, not bothering to hide the fact that she was on to him. "Because I look like Kitahara Kikyou when I tie my hair back?"  
  
That effectively reduced Inu Yasha to a string of incoherent "Wha--? How--?"  
  
He recovered quickly, though. "IT'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH HER AT ALL!!!" He bellowed.  
  
Myouga-sensei was instantly at their side. "You two, get out of the classroom. NOW!"  
  
"T--temo, sensei! The experiment!" Kagome gasped, aghast.  
  
"And you will not return until you learn how to behave properly in a laboratory," finished Myouga-sensei with finality.  
  
"Now look what you've done!" accused Kagome when they were outside the classroom.  
  
"Hmph!" Inu Yasha said, stuffing his hands deep into the pockets of his lab coat and leaning back on the wall.  
  
"You…you are so…" Kagome began furiously, wondering how this person can repeatedly reduce her to a state beyond words. "You're so…UNCUTE! And totally UNCOOL!"  
  
Inu Yasha gave her a lidded look, plainly evident that he could not care less.  
  
"No wonder Kikyou wouldn't give you the time of day, considering you're totally uncivilized, and…and…"  
  
That hit home.  
  
"How," he growled low in his throat, "did you come across that?"  
  
"Aha!" declared Kagome. "So it is true!"  
  
"I never said so!" He shouted. "What I want to know is how you managed to link me with that…that…girl?!"  
  
It was Kagome's turn to gloat. "Feh! It's not exactly a secret in the school how much you hate each other."  
  
Inu Yasha found he could not say anything to that.  
  
After a moment of silence, Kagome's curiosity got the better of her, and she said, "well? Is it true or not that you used to go out with her?"  
  
"Enough!" erupted Inu Yasha. "I don't intend to tell you anything because it's none of your business, so stop asking!"  
  
"Well, I will if you stop being mean to me just because I look like her!" returned Kagome.  
  
"Feh!" Inu Yasha turned away.  
  
Kagome glared at him for a minute or two before shaking her head and turning her attention onto the window and the lawn outside.  
  
She sighed. The guy was impossible, but what he said was true; it was none of her business. It's just that she wasn't used to people hating her at first sight. Since coming to this school, she could feel her world had gone upside down just because of this one person. It was totally unfair.  
  
Inu Yasha heard her sigh, and caught himself stealing a look at the girl. She didn't see him--she was too busy looking out the window. And as much as he wanted to look away, he found that he could not do so.  
  
So alike…why did they have to look so alike…? He wondered.  
  
But no answer was forthcoming, and nothing was resolved as the school bell rang to usher in the second period.  
  
***********************  
  
During break time, Kagome accompanied Sango to the second floor, and as they left their tiny world behind to enter the sophomores' domain, she could understand why her friend was nervous.  
  
But Sango had to deliver a parcel to Takagi-senpai, along with the paper listing the track team's scheduled activities so that she can be spared from having to present it to the office of the Central Student Council herself. And since Sango wasn't going to see the sophomore after classes, as they had no practice today, now's a good time as any to fulfill her task.  
  
Kagome doubted if Sango would relish telling her why she didn't want to bother with the CSC, so Kagome kept her questions to herself.  
  
Kagome stood a distance away as Sango went to a nearby door. Pretty soon, a tall boy came to meet her at the doorway, smiling. They spoke a few words, the parcel and paper exchanged hands, and Sango rejoined her, relieved, if not a little flushed.  
  
"C'mon, let's get out of here," said Sango, hurriedly.  
  
But they were not fast enough.  
  
"Sango," said a voice from behind her.  
  
Kagome stared as Sango froze like a little rabbit.  
  
Fukuzawa Miroku approached at his leisure, wearing a serene, pleasant smile.  
  
"Imagine seeing you here, along with Higurashi," he declared, nodding at Kagome, politely.  
  
If Sango had looked flushed after meeting Takagi, it was nothing compared to how she was looking now. And seeing her blush, Kagome could not help but feel another question budding in mind.  
  
"Been to see someone?" inquired Fukuzawa casually.  
  
"Hai," said Sango, almost defiantly.  
  
"Takagi?" It was more of a statement than a question.  
  
"Hai."  
  
"You sure you don't have anybody else in mind you'd like to visit?" He asked, teasingly.  
  
Kagome felt her jaw drop, and watched as Sango's face flared to a deep, deep red at those words.  
  
"NO!" She said, sharply and with something suspiciously close to panic, and grabbing Kagome by the arm, ran for it down the stairs.  
  
When they were safely back on their floor, Sango exploded.  
  
"That…CREEP!" She stormed, shaking. "How dare he insinuate that I…that he…!"  
  
"Sango-chan…!" cried Kagome, slightly alarmed.  
  
Sango forced herself to be calm. After a few deep breaths, she said shortly, "I'm alright, Kagome. I'm sorry you had to be dragged into that. You go on ahead, okay? I'll just go to the girls' room…"  
  
Kagome watched her go, feeling apprehension mixed with a little bit of amusement. If his words were anything to go by, could it be that Fukuzawa-senpai had a thing for Sango? And yet, Sango did not seem to appreciate his attention at all.  
  
Too bad, though, Kagome thought. They look cute together.  
  
A tap on her shoulder, and then suddenly she was being wheeled around and frog-marched out of the building.  
  
"H--hey!" cried Kagome, turning her head to see who it was who was steering her from behind.  
  
"Hi ya, sis!" cried a boy with the Mohawk hairstyle.  
  
"YOU TWO AGAIN!!!"  
  
"Don't fret, sis--we're just carrying out orders. Somebody just wants to meet you," he said, gleefully.  
  
"Yeah, don't worry--we ain't going to hurt you, promise!" piped in his companion, from yesterday.  
  
"Let me go!"  
  
They were outside now, and there, leaning on the railings near the stone steps, was a boy with long dark hair tied in a ponytail. He looked like he just got out of an injury, as a roll of bandage was still wrapped around his forehead and temples. He wasn't bad-looking, either, although there was a fierce look to his light blue eyes.  
  
He straightened when he saw Kagome and came around her.  
  
"Hehehe…here she is, boss," announced his henchmen.  
  
"What do you think you're doing? I told you to escort her out, not frighten her!" He said savagely.  
  
The two shrunk away.  
  
"I--I wasn't scared," Kagome said, careful not to get too close to this weirdo.  
  
"I must apologize if they did," he said slowly.  
  
"I told you I didn't get scared."  
  
"Oh."  
  
An awkward silence ensued. The boy started pacing around her, taking her in.  
  
Kagome could feel her brows twitching. What is this…?  
  
"What do you want from me?" she ventured.  
  
He stuck his hand out. "My name's Kouga. Kouga Shizuki."  
  
"Hi--Higurashi Kagome," said Kagome as she let him shake her hand vigorously. This was turning out to be a very strange meeting, indeed.  
  
"Higurashi--" he said, and trailed off into silence again.  
  
Kagome took back her hand, watching him uncertainly.  
  
"Higurashi--I've been thinking…"  
  
"Feh! Since when were you capable of that?"  
  
That voice…!  
  
Startled, Kouga whipped around.  
  
"Y--You!" he said.  
  
Kagome took a peek past Kouga.  
  
True enough, Inu Yasha was there, standing a few feet behind Kouga, his hands in his pockets, surveying the whole scene with a dangerous smile.  
  
"What are you doing here, you dog?" growled Kouga.  
  
"What are you doing with her?" Inu Yasha indicated Kagome with a jerk of his head. "I reckon she's not here by her choice."  
  
"Who's she to you?" snapped Kouga, then stopped as if a new and startling thought just occurred to him.  
  
"You wouldn't have known we're here unless you followed her…" began Kouga slowly, as if putting the pieces of a puzzle together and coming up with a picture he didn't like. "And then there was that thing yesterday when you drove my kouhai away from her…"  
  
Kagome stared at him, not sure what he was driving at.  
  
"You've…you've been looking after her, haven't you?" Kouga seemed to find this all very meaningful, in a horrible way. " Who is she--don't tell me she's YOUR GIRLFRIEND?!!"  
  
Kagome stiffened at that remark, a look of utter disbelief on her face. So did Inu Yasha. But it lasted only a moment.  
  
"Hah!" said Inu Yasha with a smirk, his eyes closed derisively and a hand on his chin. "I don't know how you arrived at that thought, but you'd better have your head checked, you IDIOT!!!"  
  
Kouga took a step back.  
  
"There's no way," said Inu Yasha, furiously, "that THAT girl could possibly be my girlfriend!"  
  
This, with a jab at Kagome's direction.  
  
"She's…she's just my Science Lab partner!" He finished somewhat lamely.  
  
"Then what're you doing here?" replied Kouga coolly.  
  
Kagome had had enough.  
  
"That's right," she ground out. "Inu Yasha could not possibly be my boyfriend! He's got somebody else he likes! Or rather despises! Or whatever! And if that's the only thing you want to know, you've got your answer! I'd like to go back in now."  
  
She stalked past the two guys.  
  
"Hey, wait a minute!" Inu Yasha and Kougai said, almost simultaneously. But Inu Yasha chose to follow her inside.  
  
"HEY!! Where are you going?!"  
  
***********************  
  
"HEY!!"  
  
"Go away!" Kagome snapped.  
  
"What did Kouga want from you?" Inu Yasha wanted to know, catching up.  
  
"How should I know?" Kagome hurled at him. "You very conveniently showed up!"  
  
"He was checking you out, wasn't he!"  
  
Kagome stopped and eyed him with misgiving.  
  
"…So what if he was?" she replied.  
  
Inu Yasha could not believe his ears. "You mean you don't mind associating with riffraff like that?!" He said, incredulously.  
  
"You'd find this hard to believe, Inu Yasha," said Kagome quite coolly, "but he's got better manners than you can possibly have."  
  
With that she walked away, leaving a stunned Inu Yasha to stand there and make sense of the mess of it all.  
  
"Y--you…BAKA!" was the only thing he could say.  
  
***********************  
  
So unfair…this is just so unfair!!!! Kagome groaned inwardly as the school day ended and once again, she was going across the lawn with Sango on the way out of the campus.  
  
Of course, it didn't help her any when she told Sango what happened and Sango told her Kouga and Inu Yasha were enemies, and that they regularly got into nasty brawls. The last fight, it turned out, had left Kouga with a nasty cut on his head and suspension for Inu Yasha.  
  
"Well, at least…at least, he went after you," said Sango, trying hopelessly to salvage the situation and cheer Kagome up. "At least nothing happened between you and Kouga…right?"  
  
Kagome let out a weary sigh. From day one, no matter how much she tried to steer away from Inu Yasha, why was it she felt she was inevitably being sucked back up into his world?  
  
Kami-sama, what did I ever do to merit this kind of punishment?  
  
"You'd better be careful, Kagome-chan," warned Sango. "Kouga might think that you're…you know, attached to Inu Yasha. Maybe that was why he was checking you out."  
  
Kagome shook her head. Somehow, she didn't quite think Kouga would be that ruthless.  
  
"If you want to know the truth, Sango-chan," said Kagome, "he's more likeable than Inu Yasha."  
  
"Really?" Sango asked, wide-eyed.  
  
"And speaking of the devil…" Kagome muttered.  
  
There right before them, was the familiar figure with long, white hair, his back to them.  
  
"I thought we left him behind in the building," said Sango.  
  
"Hey, Inu Yasha!" called Kagome, resentfully before she could stop herself.  
  
It didn't seem right that he should leave school today without being given a full account of what he did to make her day lousy. That could help ease her misery a bit…  
  
"Hey, wait…Kagome, that's…" Sango began.  
  
They saw the guy go still ever so slightly at the sound of that name, and it was only when he turned that Kagome realized he was not Inu Yasha… 


	7. Fair Warning

Dokyusei  
  
by Nana  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Fair Warning  
  
The orange-gold of the setting sun had made the shadows of the school appear longer, stretching the shade across the lawn. Surely it must be this capacity of illusion that sunsets carry which had led Kagome to make a mistake with the person before her, because when the boy turned slowly toward them, there was no mistaking this guy for Inu Yasha.  
  
True--the long, white hair was the same rebellious length; even the golden gaze was familiar. But there the similarities ended.  
  
There was none of the noisy, temperamental streak of Inu Yasha anywhere on this guy. The tilt of the head, the unconsciously dignified way the guy carried himself with all suggested maturity beyond Inu Yasha's years.  
  
The lidded eyes carried none of the hot-blooded vitality so evident in the round orbs of Kagome's classmate. What she found instead was the cool, calculating stillness of a large, graceful predator--seemingly beautiful but vicious nonetheless.  
  
And if Inu Yasha needed a lot of frowning and glaring to emphasize his point, this guy had no need for such actions to express his sense of acute distaste in being called by a certain name. The slanting gaze he gave Kagome said it all.  
  
"What…did you call me?" The voice was deep and smooth, a mere ripple such as a stone would make when thrown in a deep pool.  
  
Kagome found that she could not really say anything to that. Not when she was sure he had heard right--that she had called him Inu Yasha. And he was not happy about it. That, too, was certain.  
  
Who was this complete and utter stranger who resembled Inu Yasha? Another one of his enemies? Somehow, after the long, hard day Kagome was not surprised about anything anymore.  
  
"Our apologies, Sesshou Maru-senpai," said Sango, stepping forward. "We did not realize it was you."  
  
The one called Sesshou Maru ignored her. He continued gazing at Kagome.  
  
"Gomenasai," she finally muttered, just to have things over and done with, and moved to leave with Sango.  
  
And suddenly found that her way was blocked by this person. He had moved so fast that Kagome did not realize he was immediately in front of her until she almost bumped into him.  
  
"What the--" Kagome moved back, alarmed.  
  
"We don't want any trouble, and she already said she was sorry," pointed out Sango, beginning to frown.  
  
"Who is Inu Yasha to you?" he asked softly, looking down at Kagome.  
  
Kagome could feel something inside her snap. "Listen, you," she said. "I've had enough of THAT today! I really don't know what is it with the guys around here, but just because a girl knows a boy doesn't mean they've got anything going! SO STOP ASKING THAT QUESTION!"  
  
And Kagome was rewarded as she saw the unflappable Sesshou Maru hesitate at those words.  
  
Sango was staring at her half in admiration, half as though she had gone mad.  
  
"I apologize, Sesshou Maru-senpai," continued Kagome, her voice showing she wasn't sorry at all. "But I'm really very tired and I'd like to go home now, if you don't mind."  
  
Sesshou Maru regarded the riddle in front of him with faintly knit brows, thinking that in all his three years in this school he had never seen a freshman as impertinent as this one. He should just let her have it. After all, he was not one to hesitate just because his opponent was a girl.  
  
So why was it he could not move on that thought?  
  
"You heard her; let them go," said a voice behind them.  
  
Sesshou Maru moved back a fraction, turning his face unhurriedly to regard the newcomer.  
  
Kagome closed her eyes, feeling a nightmarish repetition of the Kouga scene unfolding for the second time that day, and a nerve began to twitch on her temple. "Y--you---" she began, turning around. "I've had just about enough of you too, y--"  
  
And she stopped when she saw Inu Yasha's face. She had seen him deal with Kouga, of course she had, but the expression she was seeing on his face now was not the one he had on earlier. There was none of the derisive, self- confident swagger anywhere about him and Kagome's eyes grew wide as she realized what she was seeing in those amber eyes.  
  
She had not seen it before in Inu Yasha. In fact, she had never thought him capable of it.  
  
Could it be…could it be that what she saw was fear lurking in those golden depths just now?  
  
When he spoke, though, his voice was steady and a little wry. "Let those two go. You've got a problem with me, I'm right here," he said.  
  
Sesshou Maru shook his head, a smile starting at a corner of his mouth.  
  
It scared Kagome badly. She and Sango moved back as Sesshou Maru advanced on Inu Yasha.  
  
"No. You're not a problem," said Sesshou Maru with quiet menace. "To say that you are a problem is a gross understatement."  
  
Inu Yasha turned on Kagome, and shouted, "Well? What're you waiting for? Get the hell out of here! NOW!"  
  
Sango need not be told twice. Grabbing Kagome, she started to sprint across the lawn.  
  
*********************  
  
"We can't just leave him, Sango!" cried Kagome, alarmed.  
  
"We can't do anything back there!" shouted Sango. "There's only one thing we can do--"  
  
The only thing they can do died on Sango's mind when they rounded the corner and reached the main building to find Mizuno Naraku, of all people, coming out the front door.  
  
He raised an eyebrow at the two girls as they stopped, panting, a few feet away. "Well, well, what do we have here?" he asked. "Higurashi and Mikagi--what have you been up to?"  
  
Sango tightened her hold on Kagome's arm in an unmistakable sign of warning. She straightened up and said casually, "Nothing."  
  
Mizuno moved in closer, and managed to take a suspicious peek from where they came from. It was certainly lucky he couldn't see the lawn from where they were standing.  
  
He turned back to the girls. "I hope you haven't been into trouble," he said.  
  
"Of…of course not!" said Sango, the color of her cheeks bright. "It's…it's just that we need to get some papers from the administrative office, and we have to get them now before they close, so…"  
  
Mizuno moved aside. "Be my guest," he said.  
  
"What a rotten piece of bad luck…!" gritted Sango as they got into the building and stopped after rounding the corner.  
  
"Sango! We can't report him to the teachers! He'll get into more trouble!" Kagome hissed at her ear.  
  
"I wasn't planning to! I was looking for people to break up the fight. Why did Mizuno have to get in the way?!" cried Sango, frustrated. " Look, let's go back, shall we? But first, let's check on Mizuno. Has he gone yet?"  
  
"Yeah," Higurashi said, looking back and seeing nobody standing outside the building.  
  
"Let's just hope he didn't go around the back to check if anything was wrong!" Sango said. "The last thing we need is Mizuno sticking his ugly head in!"  
  
"Sango, who is he?" Kagome wanted to know as they traced their steps back.  
  
"Sesshou Maru. He's a senior student who's better known as president of the school's Kendo Club, and…" Sango pursed her lips, not sure if she should go on.  
  
"And…?"  
  
"Well, of course those two would never admit it, but rumor has it…rumor has it they're half-brothers…"  
  
****************************  
  
Sesshou Maru watched them go, his face impassive. He turned back to Inu Yasha.  
  
"Some girl you've got. Quite a runner," he observed. "Do you always stick to losers like that, Inu Yasha? People who just can't wait to quit on you?"  
  
"She's not my girl," Inu Yasha said, feeling the first stirrings of anger. "And is that the only reason why you've come to see me? To throw mud on my face?"  
  
Sesshou Maru regarded him speculatively. "No. If it were only that, you're not even worth half the effort," he said, smoothly.  
  
Inu Yasha knew then what was coming.  
  
"Of all the high schools around Tokyo, why did you have to come into this one?" Sesshou Maru said almost conversationally as he continued to walk toward Inu Yasha.  
  
Inu Yasha snorted. "Luck, I suppose," he said. He wasn't going to back down. Sesshou Maru might be his half-brother, and he may be older, and he may certainly hate his guts, but Inu Yasha wasn't going to back down from him.  
  
Especially since he had caught him harassing Kagome. It was really his fault, to begin with. With Kagome gone, Inu Yasha found he could breathe a little easier. To be truthful, fear had wrenched him when he turned the corner to find Sesshou Maru looming over her.  
  
The girl seemed to have fared very well on her own, though. He had to give her that much.  
  
"Something interesting turned up at the Kendo Club meeting earlier," said Sesshou Maru, stopping in front of the younger boy. "The Club secretary reported that he received a new application for entry from a student. Yours."  
  
"I don't see anything wrong with that."  
  
"But I do," said Sesshou Maru, coldly. "Of course, I will not be able to stop you from entering, but consider this as fair warning: once you enter, your days will be filled with so much pain you'll wish you've never joined."  
  
Inu Yasha did not seem very impressed.  
  
Kendo was, to him, an obsession above Sesshou Maru. He had given it a lot of consideration, and Sesshou Maru being president of the Club might be difficult, but Kendo was worth far more than that.  
  
"I will be looking forward to it," said Inu Yasha.  
  
"Let that be on your own head, then." With that, Sesshou Maru turned abruptly to leave.  
  
Inu Yasha watched him go, feeling curiously relieved that this single encounter had not escalated into anything else.  
  
He turned to the opposite side and left, leaving the lawn peaceful and seemingly undisturbed, so that rounding the corner a moment later, neither Mizuno Naraku nor the two girls who came after Mizuno's departure, saw anything out of the ordinary.  
  
*************************** 


	8. Tactics

Dokyusei  
  
by Nana  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Tactics  
  
  
  
***********************  
  
Kagome did not believe her eyes. "Where…where did they go?" She asked, gazing wide-eyed at the empty lawn.  
  
"Nothing…happened?" Sango said, walking over the area where they had been almost ten minutes ago.  
  
A cursory inspection of the nearby premises yielded nothing.  
  
"He couldn't have crawled away that fast if he were beaten to a pulp," said Sango logically as they returned to the lawn. "So I guess they really didn't get into a fight after all."  
  
"What made you think Inu Yasha would be the one to get beaten into a pulp?" asked Kagome a bit flatly.  
  
"Well, Sesshou Maru is the school's Kendo champion after all," Sango said. "You just don't mess with people like that."  
  
Kagome sighed heavily. "Well, I guess that's all there is to it. It's really a good thing nothing happened. I don't think I can stand this much excitement all in one day."  
  
"Don't let him get to you," said Sango, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Look, would you like some ice cream before going home? We can stop by the café outside."  
  
"Sure."  
  
They walked slowly out of the school, talking as they went.  
  
"How's it going with Inu Yasha and Science Lab?"  
  
"Just awful. He's really making things so difficult," said Kagome. "I mean he's totally exasperating! And noisy, and rude, among other things…"  
  
Sango smiled. "Really?" She said. "So what's Kagome's type when it comes to guys?"  
  
Kagome sighed, beginning to smile as well. "Definitely not someone who's violent and prone to picking fights, or for that matter, somebody who's selfish, malicious and short-tempered. He should be kind, considerate…"  
  
As she trailed off with a wistful expression on her face, Sango said, "So definitely not someone like Inu Yasha, huh?"  
  
"Definitely," Kagome said with alacrity. "How about you, Sango-chan? What's your type?"  
  
Sango was suddenly looking a bit flushed. "Oh, the usual, I expect," she said.  
  
"You mean cool, calm, intelligent--something like that?" teased Kagome.  
  
"Something like that," said Sango.  
  
"Like Fukuzawa-senpai, perhaps?" Kagome prodded, grinning.  
  
"Of course NOT!" said Sango, hotly. "Kagome-chan…!"  
  
For a moment, words appeared to fail Sango as she tried to voice out something that could properly describe the guy's crimes.  
  
"That guy is absolutely disgusting! He's shameless, ruthless, completely devoid of morals, and a sukebe to boot!" She finally said.  
  
Kagome remembered what he had said to make Sango nearly jump out of her skin earlier when they had visited the sophomores' domain. Of course he was just teasing Sango, but why would he even think of doing it, in the first place? And there had been something beneath the caressing tone Kagome could not put a name to which made the tease something a bit more than meets the eye.  
  
"He seems to like you," said Kagome.  
  
Sango shook her head. "He does not," she said, bitterly. "He just thinks I'm this big challenge he has to overcome. I'm his current project, if you'd like to put it that way."  
  
Kagome stared at Sango.  
  
"He's got it into his head he's irresistible, so the first girl who comes along who openly gets revolted by the idea gets to become a freak-- someone he has to examine more closely," said Sango.  
  
"Sango…"  
  
"Don't worry, though," Sango said quickly. "He's not going to get to me."  
  
"Good for you, Sango," said Kagome. "I guess we've got our share of annoying boys to deal with."  
  
"There's no running away from these types in this school, unfortunately," said Sango. "Of course, there are some who are really not that bad."  
  
"Takagi-senpai?" Kagome asked gently.  
  
Sango smiled almost sadly. "He's already got a girlfriend," said Sango with finality, as if closing a case. "All the good ones are already taken."  
  
Kagome found that she could not say anything to that.  
  
After all, even Inu Yasha, with his foul temper and his notoriety, had somebody like Kikyou, however briefly.  
  
"There's the cafe," Sango pointed out. "C'mon. And let's talk about something else, shall we? What are you doing this weekend?"  
  
Laughing, they set out to cross the street, not aware that somebody had seen them from a distance and, after a moment's pause, decided to follow them…  
  
************************  
  
Fukuzawa leaned back into his seat, satisfied. Across him, fellow debate team members Aoki Jun and Hachi continued to stare at him as they digested what he had to say.  
  
"So she ran away," said Aoki, finally.  
  
Fukuzawa smiled.  
  
"Because you said what you said." Aoki didn't bother to hide his razor- sharp tone from Fukuzawa. They were, after all, fellow sophomores. "Big deal."  
  
Miroku leaned on the table, raising his brow at an unimpressed Aoki. "So what are you saying?"  
  
"What I'm saying is, any freshman when faced with a head-on assault like that in a corridor of sophomores would react the way she did. That doesn't mean she thinks you're something," said Aoki indifferently. "All in all, I'd say you can't draw a reliable conclusion from that encounter."  
  
"But what about that episode in the canteen? The track field?" Hachi asked, trying to defend Fukuzawa-sama. "Surely those incidents will warrant some merit--"  
  
"Look Fukuzawa," said Aoki, not bothering to acknowledge Hachi's presence. "I'm not saying she's not responding to you. Hell, she's responsive, all right, but that's a long shot from saying she likes you. You should know that! More than anything, she's outdone herself by showing you how much she hates your guts."  
  
"But--but that's a start," pointed out Hachi. "She wouldn't be hating Fukuzawa-sama's guts like that for nothing! The fact that she does means she likes him, right?"  
  
"Hachi--what kind of fallacy have you just invented?" Aoki turned to him, effectively shutting him up.  
  
Fukuzawa stared at Aoki coolly, inwardly acknowledging he had a point. Not that he would ever acknowledge it in Aoki's face.  
  
"What would it take, then?" he asked.  
  
The problem of Galatea was becoming more and more complex.  
  
It was clearly not enough that he could make Mikagi Sango react. What was the point of proving she could respond, when she could not respond positively? What he had so far was a set of conjectures derived indirectly from her reaction, but face it: The conjectures were not solid evidence.  
  
And inconclusive evidence could not hold in any grounds of debate.  
  
He needed more solid proof--something short of her clinging to his arm-- that would effectively clarify, once and for all, that he could make her like him.  
  
But was that really his primary objective when he started? When he crossed that track oval to declare open war, had he really wanted to make her like him?  
  
Not really, thought Fukuzawa truthfully.  
  
When he crossed the track field, he had one thing clear in his mind: he wanted to see how much he could rattle her.  
  
Because to be perfectly honest, he really did not think he could like a girl like Mikagi Sango. And she had to be put in her place.  
  
So how did this come about? Why were they sitting here in a corner of a small café discussing possible tactics to bring a mere girl to heel?  
  
Because, Fukuzawa said to himself, you're absolutely going nowhere with her…and admit it, after you took one good look at her, you've decided she could be worth all the trouble after all…  
  
"How about eliciting some jealousy?" Aoki suggested. "That would make for more solid, more tangible evidence."  
  
Hmm…Fukuzawa had to acknowledge it was not a bad idea.  
  
The chimes above the café door sounded as it opened, and amidst the chatter within the room, Fukuzawa looked up to see his chance come in.  
  
"Well, well, look who decided to drop by," he said, allowing a smile--a full, delighted smile--to show on his face as he stood up. "Well, Aoki, you're about to see your suggestion tested."  
  
Quickly, surely he made for the two girls who had entered.  
  
Sango turned just in time to see him heading their way, and her face paled. There was nowhere for her to run, no way for her to dodge him in this place…  
  
But he wasn't even looking at her for a change. He was brushing past her, striding over to Kagome.  
  
"Ah, Higurashi!" he said to a startled Kagome and, before she could register what he was about to do, he had grasped her hands tightly in his.  
  
"Imagine seeing you here," he said, hoarsely. "You're indeed a sight for sore eyes…this, this must surely be a sign!"  
  
"EHHH…?" Kagome cried, her eyes wide.  
  
From the corner of his eyes, Miroku could see Sango start in intense surprise before her face began to turn furiously, furiously red.  
  
Well, there you have it, Aoki, he laughed inwardly. Before I finish with her, there's no way you're going to mistake THAT for anything else!  
  
But he was not allowed to carry on.  
  
"What…the hell…do you think… you're doing?" a voice from the doorway asked.  
  
Miroku turned to see a strange sight. A boy with long, white hair and furious, amber eyes stood just inside the door.  
  
"I--Inu Yasha!" gasped Kagome in total shock. What was he doing here???  
  
"Get your hands off her!" Inu Yasha said, advancing slowly on Miroku just as Sesshou Maru had previously done earlier with him.  
  
"Why?" Fukuzawa asked.  
  
"Because," Inu Yasha said, seething with repressed rage, "You're going to have to deal with ME!"  
  
With that, he let out a fist, swiping at Fukuzawa's head. Only it did not connect with solid flesh.  
  
"Chotto!" Fukuzawa said as he casually ducked, feeling the boy's fist whiz above him. With astonishing, fluid grace, he swerved behind Inu Yasha, his face not even bothering to change its expression.  
  
"You're really violent, aren't you?" Fukuzawa said calmly, with just a hint of annoyance. "Let's go outside for this kind of thing, shall we? There are too many people in here."  
  
With that, he calmly walked out the café, his back to Inu Yasha. Kagome and Sango exchanged glances. How could he manage to even consider something like that, given the situation he was in?  
  
"Apologize to her!" said Inu Yasha, following him outside.  
  
"It's okay, Inu Yasha," said Kagome nervously as she caught up with him. "Don't worry about it!"  
  
Inu Yasha turned to her, his expression one of wild disbelief. "What do you mean, it's okay??" He asked loudly.  
  
"She's telling you not to sweat it, Inu Yasha," said Sango, coldly. "He's just trying to provoke you. He's not worth it."  
  
She stared at Fukuzawa steadily as she said this, and Fukuzawa realized she had caught onto him. No doubt she had recognized Hachi and Aoki in the crowd of interested spectators and had pieced the puzzle together.  
  
But there was no time for that now. Amidst Kagome's sudden cry of alarm, Inu Yasha let fly another punch, but Miroku was quick to dodge it.  
  
"You do realize the gravity of what you're doing, don't you?" Fukuzawa told him coolly, as he easily blocked Inu Yasha's blows with his hands, moving with a startling fluidity as he dodged more blows. "Engaging a sophomore in a fight is not exactly a very wise move."  
  
"Well, who started it, anyway?" Inu Yasha yelled. Fukuzawa merely chuckled, as if the whole thing were highly amusing.  
  
Dammit, but why can't he get a punch through to this guy?! Who was he anyway?  
  
At one point, as he swung past Fukuzawa, the guy even got hold of his arm in a vice-like grip  
  
"Is that the best you can do?" He asked, smirking, as he flung Inu Yasha's arm away casually.  
  
"Fight back, dammit!"  
  
"You mean you think you can handle it?" said Fukuzawa, in amused disbelief.  
  
"Apologize!"  
  
"I didn't do anything to compromise her, if that's what you're trying to point out," said Miroku. "She doesn't have a boyfriend, after all, does she?"  
  
And then, curiously enough, he stopped as a thought occurred to him. He dodged Inu Yasha's last blow and turned to Kagome, his eyes wide.  
  
"Do you?" He asked, surprised.  
  
Stunned, Kagome could not speak. Neither could Sango. Neither could Inu Yasha.  
  
Fukuzawa turned from Inu Yasha to Kagome, taking in their stunned faces and misinterpreting them.  
  
"Sumimasen," he said, scratching his head. "I didn't realize…well, you should have said something at the beginning…"  
  
"Wha---what, you…" Inu Yasha was beginning to sputter indignantly.  
  
"I apologize," said Fukuzawa formally to Kagome, bowing slightly at her direction. "I wouldn't have put myself out of line if I'd have realized earlier that you and Inu Yasha... Sumimasen…"  
  
With that, he turned away and walked off, leaving the three to take in the sudden, startling turn of events.  
  
"HEY!!" Inu Yasha said, going after him.  
  
"Hey, hey, that's enough," said Sango. "It's all over."  
  
"That…weird…assshole!" bit out Inu Yasha, angrily, staring at his retreating back incredulously.  
  
"Sango-chan…" said Kagome, slowly. "I know this sounds crazy, but…you know, he's not really such a bad person after all…"  
  
Sango shook her head as she watched him walk away, not believing Kagome, and not believing what Fukuzawa Miroku was capable of doing, either.  
  
*********************  
  
Vocabulary:  
  
Chotto--for a moment; a little bit (like, "Now wait a sec")  
  
Galatea--Pygmalion's woman statue  
  
Sumimasen--excuse me 


	9. Precious Bane

Dokyusei  
  
by Nana  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Precious Bane  
  
Disclaimer: Inu Yasha is all Rumiko Takahashi's. Certain scenes in this chapter taken from books 5 and 6.  
  
Author's Note: The theme of this chapter is a very loose, entirely out-of- this-world (mis)interpretation of Mary Webb's excellent book with the same name. No disrespect is intended at the original novel. And please don't sue me! I admit! I admit! I borrowed the title because I thought the meaning is quite apt in describing the relationship of our characters with each other at this point.  
  
At any rate, you be the judge and please tell me what you think. Still pretty much a draft so I will need all the feedback I can get! Please read and review! ^^  
  
Rate: It will get a bit angsty and slow, but please don't worry. Things will pick up soon.  
  
***********************  
  
The last day of the week came by to see Kagome in a better mood than she had ever been in since she first stepped into Sengoku High School.  
  
Even Inu Yasha noticed the change in Science Lab.  
  
"Oy," said Inu Yasha as he eyed her suspiciously. "What's the matter with you this morning?"  
  
"Nothing's the matter," she said, keeping her eyes on the beaker as she steadily added reagent X in. She failed to wipe the small smile from her lips, though.  
  
"Has this got anything to do with what happened yesterday?" Inu Yasha persisted.  
  
This time, Kagome turned to face him. "What do you mean?" she asked.  
  
"Something's not right with you today," said Inu Yasha, narrowing his eyes. "This doesn't have anything to do with that idiot Fukuzawa, does it?!"  
  
Trust him to think of it that way. But speaking of Fukuzawa Miroku…  
  
"What happened yesterday was pretty interesting. I never thought he was really that kind of person," said Kagome, thoughtfully. She turned to look at Sango meaningfully as she sat huddled with her partner two tables away.  
  
And Inu Yasha did not hesitate to jump to his own conclusions..  
  
"What are you saying?!" He exploded. "You mean to say you liked what he did to you? You like those kinds of guys that much?!"  
  
Kagome turned back to him, and said matter-of-factly, "I LOVE them!"  
  
And she watched, exasperated, as Inu Yasha's eyes widened in shock. He stumbled away, his hands balling into fists. She could swear she heard him muttering under his breath, "is that how it IS? Is that how things ARE?!"  
  
"Honestly, can't you tell it's just a joke?!" she called after him, annoyed. "What's it to you, anyway?"  
  
Inu Yasha straightened up and glared at her. "Nothing!" he said before storming off.  
  
"How could it possibly mean anything to me?" he huffed, just for good measure.  
  
Kagome sighed, watching him move away.  
  
From the look of things now, though, it seems he's back to his usual, unpleasant self, thought Kagome acidly.  
  
And yet why was he there at all yesterday? And to think they had thought he had been beaten to a bloody pulp.  
  
Did he happen to just pass by on his way home? But why so convenient?  
  
And why would he care at all what happened to her outside school?  
  
She turned her head slightly to look at Inu Yasha as he took his seat a few feet away from her and started pounding away at the mortar and pestle, crushing some chemical crystals into powder.  
  
Because you're going to have to deal with ME…!  
  
Why would he even think of saying something like that?  
  
Kagome watched as he continued to wreak havoc with the hapless contents of the mortar, bits of crystals and powder flying in all directions.  
  
I want to ask him so many things, but…  
  
Inu Yasha lifted his head to find her staring at him, and effectively shattered the mood by saying, "What're you staring at? You got a problem or something?"  
  
Kagome sighed.  
  
"What's the point of your crushing the crystals to powder," she found herself telling him, "when you can't even get them to stay in the bowl?"  
  
With that, she turned away.  
  
Never mind…  
  
************************  
  
"You're looking all chirpy today," observed Sango dryly during lunch.  
  
"I do?" Kagome asked as she bit into her sandwich.  
  
"Does it have anything to do with you-know-who's appearance at the scene yesterday?" Sango asked, her eyes twinkling mischievously.  
  
"Who? Fukuzawa-senpai?" Kagome teased back, deliberately misinterpreting her.  
  
Bad move.  
  
Sango's expression automatically darkened.  
  
"Sango-chan, I'm sorry," Kagome said, wondering what had gotten into her to say such a thing. "That--that was an awful thing to say…"  
  
"Let's leave him out of the conversation, okay?" Sango almost snapped. "We're trying to eat lunch here."  
  
A short silence ensued as they tried to finish lunch. Then…  
  
"The guy was a total asshole!" Sango exploded suddenly.  
  
"He was," Kagome agreed.  
  
What he did yesterday was totally unforgivable. Not so much to Kagome as to the person he had intended the whole show for. Kagome should by all rights be offended by what he had done to her, but she felt more sorry for Sango.  
  
"He must be doing it for a reason," said Kagome trying to stir the conversation in such a way as to prevent Sango from sinking any deeper into it.  
  
"The reason is obvious enough," said Sango, bitterly, as she remembered who else had been present in the café to give further motive to his actions.  
  
Kagome briefly considered telling her his newly found merits, however lame they were, but decided against it when she saw Sango's stormy face.  
  
After all, there was a big chance she could be wrong.  
  
Fukuzawa may just turn out to be the usual jerk who got kicks out of seeing a girl humiliated. In the end, he could very well hurt Sango with his persistence.  
  
But Kagome could not help but return to that scene in the sophomores' corridor a couple of days ago. There had been something there….  
  
What was it?  
  
It was already at the tip of her tongue…if only she could describe what she had seen on his face and heard in his voice.  
  
She gave up with the thought temporarily and returned to the present to find Sango still seething.  
  
"Maybe it would help if he sees you're not that affected."  
  
"I'm NOT affected, okay?" Sango said loudly.  
  
Kagome winced. "Erm…Okay."  
  
What was it about certain people, that they could bind themselves to others this way? With no apology, no remorse, and no permission at all?  
  
Against all logic, against all self-control and against all hope, how do some people just creep into one's mind and refuse to leave?  
  
What Sango had not yet realized, and what Kagome could not bring herself to tell her was, at the rate she was going, she was already fighting a losing battle with Fukuzawa even in this early stage.  
  
Whether Sango wanted to or not, he had gotten to her so deeply, so completely, that Sango had begun to think of him as her ruin…almost lovingly?  
  
Well, maybe not lovingly. But there was no mistaking the passion so clearly evident in Sango where Fukuzawa Miroku was concerned.  
  
How strange.  
  
Could it be possible that Fukuzawa Miroku…has become Sango's precious bane?  
  
*************************  
  
"Inu Yasha…" Kagome said softly.  
  
"What?" Inu Yasha said beside her.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" Kagome asked, looking up from her book to find his face almost pressed against her shoulder.  
  
Inu Yasha paused for a moment, thinking. "Copying your answers?" he said in a What-Else-Do-You-Think-I'm-Doing voice.  
  
Kagome shut her science lab manual with a FLAP!  
  
"Hey!" Inu Yasha said, swiping at the book unsuccessfully as Kagome moved her manual out of reach. "We're supposed to be doing this as a team! You're my lab partner!"  
  
"We're supposed to be doing the questions on our own!" she snapped. She stood up, collected her things, and headed out the library door. "You've already copied down the experiment results!"  
  
"Hey, wait a minute!" Inu Yasha moved to follow her, oblivious of the librarian's stares.  
  
"Why are you being so damned difficult?" he said, catching up with her in the corridor.  
  
"Why are you following me all the time?" Kagome hurled back.  
  
"Give me your manual and I'll stop," he said.  
  
Kagome shot him a lidded look. "Is that," she said, quietly, "the only thing you're after?"  
  
Inu Yasha blinked. "Well, what else is there?" he said a bit defensively.  
  
Fine. Ruin my day, why don't you?  
  
"Well, what about yesterday at the café?" Kagome asked. "Don't tell me you went over there to borrow my lab manual?!"  
  
Inu Yasha was so surprised that he sputtered for a full half minute before thinking of something good enough to say.  
  
"Well, you should be grateful I got there in time!" He said, loudly, expertly evading the question. "Otherwise he would have been all over you!"  
  
"At least he's very kind and attentive," gritted out Kagome. "And he doesn't treat me like I'm some ex-girlfriend he's got some unresolved gripe against!"  
  
Kami-sama. There it was. After everything that's been said and done, it had to come back to this.  
  
That effectively shut Inu Yasha up, and he looked away.  
  
Oh no, you don't…!  
  
Kagome seized him by the long white mane hanging down the sides of his ears, as well as the opportunity to take full advantage of the elusive topic. Inu Yasha's eyes went wide as they met hers.  
  
"Look at me! This is what it's all about, isn't it?" said Kagome, angrily. "You know what? It really riles me up to think every time you see me you get reminded of her. Do you hate her so much you've got to make me her punching bag as well?"  
  
And then unexpectedly, a pained look crossed his amber eyes, and he crushed her hand in his.  
  
"It's not…what you think," he said, softly.  
  
Kagome stopped, confused, as she looked into those amber depths. She could find no trace of hatred, none at all!  
  
There were so many things to be deciphered in that look, but there was clearly none of the hatred he had made clear in his voice.  
  
Kagome's gray eyes widened as she suddenly realized who--or what--Kikyou was to Inu Yasha. It had never occurred to her before…but the look he was giving her now had said it all.  
  
Kagome came back just in time to realize that Inu Yasha was clutching her hand in a school corridor.  
  
"ACK! What're you doing?!" She quickly pushed him away, embarrassed.  
  
Whatever little happiness she had derived from the incident yesterday was gone. Dissipated by the mere memory of a girl in Inu Yasha's mind.  
  
"Kagome…"  
  
But before Inu Yasha could say anything else, she turned and walked quickly away.  
  
******************************  
  
That evening, as Kagome was lying down on her bed staring at the bleak white ceiling of her room and listening to the sounds of her younger brother Souta playing in the next room, she couldn't help but realize what people meant to each other.  
  
Sango had her Miroku to torture her, and Inu Yasha his Kikyou.  
  
And what about her?  
  
Could it be possible that she, herself, now had somebody of her own to call her precious bane?  
  
But she couldn't possibly! Inu Yasha was certainly her bane, but since when did he start becoming precious?  
  
It just wasn't fair! Why would people want to suffer, and why couldn't they get enough? Why do they do it? Why would they want these people--the very same people who have the power to hurt them--close by? Why couldn't they let go?  
  
Why couldn't I let go of you…Inu Yasha?  
  
What was she saying? She thought unhappily. Now she was sounding weird.  
  
What's really all this precious bane thing? For a while, she thought she had an idea what it was supposed to mean, but now it just wasn't clear anymore.  
  
The phone suddenly sounded, providing a welcome distraction.  
  
It was Sango, but she sounded different.  
  
"Kagome? Is that you? Can we talk?"  
  
"Yes, sure," Kagome said, sitting up quickly. "What's happening?"  
  
There was a long pause. Then a ragged sigh as Sango fought for control.  
  
"Kagome…I did it," she said, her voice trembling.  
  
"Did what?"  
  
"I've slapped him…"  
  
*************************  
  
*Bane-curse, irritation, annoyance 


	10. Satisfaction

Dokyusei  
  
by Nana  
  
Chapter 10  
  
Satisfaction  
  
***************************  
  
Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi owns everyone (sob!), while the writer has got only her fevered imagination to churn up a fic like this!  
  
Rating: It's not lemony (it's not even limey), but it's more intense than the usual chapters. Whatever happens, I do hope you enjoy it! Please R&R! ^^  
  
  
  
***************************  
  
"I've slapped him…"  
  
With that one phrase, Sango let go a torrent of words: "I can't believe I did it! I don't know HOW I did it, but it just happened!"  
  
"Sango-chan," said Kagome faintly, realizing the full impact of what Sango had done. It was totally unprecedented.  
  
"I slapped a SOPHOMORE!!! I didn't mean to--well, I guess I must have meant it at the time, but I mean I didn't…Kagome-chan, what am I going to DO??!"  
  
"Why did you slap him?"  
  
"Because!" Sango wailed. "His--his hand was…and…I freaked out okay?!"  
  
"Okay, Sango-chan…no, don't…erm…calm down. It's going to be okay. Why don't you start at the beginning?" Kagome suggested, hoping it would help Sango put things in perspective.  
  
"O-okay," she said, taking a deep breath. "Okay…do you remember our conversation during lunchtime? Well, I was thinking about that when I made my way over to the practice field, and I thought you had a point…"  
  
***************************  
  
Of course Kagome had a point back there. Admit it, Sango. Of course you were bothered.  
  
But why???  
  
As she made her way to the track oval that afternoon, she wondered unhappily why she was getting affected by a lecherous jerk who meant absolutely nothing to her.  
  
It was just hard for her to shake off the habit of letting her displeasure show. Sango had always been an open, honest person. And she did not believe in hiding what she thought of people from them.  
  
Unfortunately, Fukuzawa Miroku just happened to embody everything she found distasteful in a guy. So there really was no way for her to think of him in a good light.  
  
Funny…she thought. When she had first arrived in this school, a long, long time ago, it seemed, she even thought he looked cute. [Of course, she would never admit it to anyone, not even Kagome, but that was how it was.]  
  
He would pass by her in the corridor, either with a huge flock from the debate team or by himself, his gaze (of course) never meeting hers, and she would catch herself staring at him surreptitiously after he had his back to her.  
  
Maybe it had been the earrings, two on the left and one on the right, which had caught her attention at the very beginning. Or was it the small ponytail? Or maybe it had something to do with the even planes of his serene face, or was it his voice? Sango could not really remember, because that period of innocent admiration was over all too quickly when she learned of his unsavory reputation.  
  
Sango could still remember how she learned of it. What was weird about the whole thing was the girl who told her he had a reputation did not find it one bit shocking. In fact, she thought it was thrilling.  
  
Sango was not quite sure she wanted to believe it, until she got to see him personally in action a few days later by springing THE question on a girl who was surely just an acquaintance in the corridor. She had to admit, the sight of him clutching the girl's hands in his had stopped her dead in her tracks.  
  
She did not know what was more revolting: the fact that he could breezily do something like that to a stranger, or the fact that the girl was flattered enough to accept.  
  
And whatever remained of her initial admiration vanished quickly when she found out he sprang the question on every pretty girl in sight.  
  
Well, thank goodness he never found her pretty, because he had never bothered her, nor for that matter, gave any indication that he was even aware she existed.  
  
Until now, that was.  
  
And even now, she doubted very much if the motive behind his pursuing her had anything to do with his thinking she was pretty.  
  
Hah.  
  
Far from it.  
  
What he was after was her total and unconditional humiliation, plain and simple.  
  
Well, she wasn't going to let him succeed.  
  
She finally reached the track oval to find Takagi already dressed and waiting for her. Only, for the second straight day at practice, he was not alone.  
  
Despite all her brave words and thoughts, her heart sank horribly at the familiar figure beside her practice partner. Seeing him again here, in what was supposedly her territory, her space, was enough to make her want to run away.  
  
He had taken off his black school jacket and had the first two buttons of his crisp, white shirt undone, revealing the graceful lines of his throat. The rolled sleeves of his shirt showed a quantity of forearm and elbow, filled with wiry strength not unlike her own.  
  
She had not realized he was this slender. Slender but well built. Standing there with Takagi with the afternoon sun shining down on his laughing face, his jacket slung casually on one shoulder, he looked…so very…  
  
STOP IT!!! Sango screamed to herself as she desperately tried to gather her scattered senses about her. She tore her gaze away.  
  
"Ah! Mikagi!" Takagi called when he finally saw her. "Good timing! Fukuzawa here says he's got a question for you!"  
  
Acting on impulse borne from sheer desperation, Sango forced herself to smile brightly at Takagi, making sure not to break eye contact until the last minute. She slid her gaze toward Fukuzawa for just a fraction of a second as way of acknowledging that he even existed before she fixed her attention back to Takagi.  
  
It had the desired effect. Fukuzawa's smile waned a little and Takagi blinked at her, as if confused.  
  
Okay, Mister Smarty-Pants, she thought grimly. You want tactics? You've got them…  
  
But Fukuzawa recovered quickly. Without missing a beat, he said, "Takagi and I were just having this argument about what to give a girl during our first date. I was planning to ask a girl out this weekend, but it seems she's not exactly the type who would settle for flowers and such. And Takagi here says I shouldn't be making a move that quickly. We thought maybe a girl's point of view would help settle the matter once and for all. What do you think?"  
  
Yet another goading tactic, huh? How long was he going to do this?  
  
Her first impulse was to tell him she couldn't possibly care less, but Takagi seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say.  
  
Sango allowed a look of speculation to cross her face so that she appeared to be seriously considering his stupid question.  
  
"All in all, I'd say guys who would bring anything on a first date are not to be trusted," she said a bit loftily. "Too much of an overkill. Anyway, bringing presents on a first date is passe."  
  
A snort of laughter from Takagi.  
  
Fukuzawa grinned good-naturedly at her remark "I gather you're speaking from experience?" he asked, his brows lifted, managing to imply that opinion based only on theory did not count.  
  
"Of course," Sango said, widening her eyes innocently. "Ask Takagi-senpai."  
  
Was it her imagination, or did she actually see him go still for a moment? Certainly there was nothing in his expression to show her that he was surprised. He would not even grant her this small satisfaction. With his slight smile still in place, he turned leisurely to look at a surprised Takagi, as if he had stumbled on something mildly interesting.  
  
The moment passed.  
  
"I'd better go change," she murmured, turning away before her bravado disappeared completely.  
  
When she was safely inside the girls' changing room, Sango could feel her legs slowly giving way and she sat down heavily on the long bench before her.  
  
What…did you think you were DOING??? Her mind screamed at her. How could you possibly drag Takagi-senpai into it???  
  
She couldn't help it. For some strange reason she felt bitterly offended that he would even allow Fukuzawa ask her a question like that.  
  
Sango sighed.  
  
As a rule, boys were really horrible creatures. If they were not too cheeky, they were too clueless.  
  
She changed into her practice clothes as slowly as she could. When she emerged from the dressing room, she found, much to her relief, that Fukuzawa had gone.  
  
"We're doing this article for the school paper concerning the various school clubs," was Takagi's explanation to Sango's cautious inquiry as to why Fukuzawa was suddenly popping up all over the place.  
  
"Oh."  
  
Takagi turned to look at Sango. "You don't mind him asking that question earlier, do you Sango?" he asked unexpectedly.  
  
Sango did not try to hide her surprise.  
  
"Fukuzawa might be a little too straightforward sometimes, and he could be…well…inappropriate, but he's actually cool most of the time," said Takagi. "Don't mind him. At any rate you gave him such an eyeful with your answer I doubt if he would ever come back for more advice."  
  
So they really are good friends, thought Sango miserably, taking her cue from his light statement.  
  
"Gomenasai, Takagi-senpai, about…you know…" Sango trailed off, not sure how she was going to say it.  
  
"What?"  
  
Sango gestured vaguely. "I'm sorry about dragging you in like that…"  
  
"Oh, that." Takagi laughed. "That was nothing. Don't worry about it!"  
  
Takagi's response left Sango even more miserable, if that was possible. She desperately wanted to know if Fukuzawa had asked him anything about her, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.  
  
So she finally let it go.  
  
************************  
  
Kagome sat back on her bed upon hearing this narrative (more or less edited where Sango deemed it necessary). "Well, that was a good move," she said into the phone. "You did very, very well, Sango-chan."  
  
"You haven't heard the rest of the story yet," said Sango, miserably.  
  
  
  
************************  
  
It was nearly six pm when they finished their practice. After a few words from their coach, everyone had gone off to change and hurry home.  
  
Takagi had gone ahead, saying he had things to take care of (meaning, of course, he was off to pick up Miyuki), leaving Sango to walk alone past the back of the botany garden out to the hind gates of the school, which were the only ones left open at this late hour. She trailed behind her other teammates, hearing the girls giggle and discuss plans for the weekend.  
  
She herself was planning to go out on Saturday so she could have time to study all day Sunday for the upcoming English exam.  
  
Then she heard someone calling her name from behind.  
  
"Sango."  
  
There was no mistaking that voice, no mistaking the meaningful inflection on the last syllable of her name which only one person was capable of doing- -which only one person would ever THINK of doing.  
  
And this time, Sango panicked. She picked up her pace, not bothering to look back or even stop.  
  
A mistake.  
  
She jumped back in alarm when she felt his warm fingers brush her arm, finally forcing her to turn to him.  
  
"What--! What do you think you're doing?!!" She gasped, snatching her arm away as though it had been burned.  
  
He was standing beside her, though how he could have sneaked up this close without her knowing was a mystery to Sango.  
  
"From your reaction, not what you think," Fukuzawa said dryly. "What's the matter? You didn't hear me calling you?"  
  
But looking into his amused, violet gaze, Sango could tell he knew she had heard him perfectly.  
  
Sango chose not to answer. Instead, she looked onto the direction where her teammates had gone. Even now, it would not be too late if she called out…  
  
She heard him chuckle, and she turned back to see he had read her thoughts correctly.  
  
"You seem nervous, Sango," he said, softly, and Sango could almost catch his train of thought.  
  
Of course he knew he made her nervous, and the next logical step from there would be to ask WHY…  
  
But he did not. Instead, he continued to look at her, a strange expression gradually crossing his face, wiping away the smirk.  
  
"What do you want?" asked Sango, sharply.  
  
A corner of his mouth lifted a fraction.  
  
"Satisfaction."  
  
*****************************  
  
Kagome let out a squeal. "Oh my GAAAAAAAAD!!!! He said that?!" Kagome screamed into the phone.  
  
"He did! Can you imagine?!"  
  
"But it's so…corny!"  
  
"I know!"  
  
"Then what?"  
  
"Then I got mad…"  
  
****************************  
  
Sango could feel the anger slowly coursing through her, dispelling the numbing fear she had felt earlier.  
  
"Why you…you…" She sputtered, her face finally turning red. "You HENTAI!"  
  
Fukuzawa threw up his hands in mock terror. "You completely misunderstand! Before your imagination runs away with you," he said, a grin slowly spreading across his lips, effectively making her stop, "I just want to ask you a question. Indulge me for a moment."  
  
Huh?  
  
He turned serious again. "Your remark earlier on. What do you mean by 'ask Takagi'?" he said.  
  
Sango blinked.  
  
HAH!!! Hahahahaha…!  
  
So that was it…!!!  
  
"Why do you want to know?!" Sango threw at him a bit triumphantly, even as the laughter threatened to overflow inside.  
  
She couldn't believe it!  
  
She scored one! She was actually, finally able to score one against Fukuzawa!  
  
Had he really waited for her until 6 pm just to ask her that silly question?  
  
But the laughter died down soon enough as he continued to look at her seriously, his brows creased in a faint frown. There was something in his expression that she could not quite fathom.  
  
"I don't know," he answered softly, almost inaudibly.  
  
He continued to look…disturbed.  
  
Nani????  
  
Before Sango could say anything, he slowly, almost reluctantly, lifted his right hand up to her face.  
  
Sango froze, forgetting the use of hands or legs as she stood transfixed, finding that she could not tear her eyes off his.  
  
She felt gentle, tentative fingers graze her cheek in the lightest of touches, barely making contact with her sensitive skin, gliding down slowly, hesitantly, to follow the curve of her face.  
  
When his thumb brushed over her slightly parted lips, she felt she had forgotten how to breathe as well. His eyes had darkened to a rich violet blue as he followed the motions of his thumb, fascinated in spite of himself.  
  
Suddenly, horribly, a memory came floating up in her mind. Of another hand…in another time…  
  
"Sango…" he said. It was but a breath, a caress, but it was enough to bring Sango out from her trance. Suddenly, her hand remembered its myriad functions.  
  
CRRRAAA~~~~AAACCKKK!!!!  
  
The sound of her open palm connecting to his cheek was as sharp as the crack of a whip, shocking in the stillness of the garden.  
  
Horrified, she realized, too late, the full consequences of her action as Fukuzawa's head swiveled from the force of her retaliation, forcing him to take a step back.  
  
Breathing quickly, not bothering to look back, Sango turned and fled.  
  
***************************  
  
After listening to Sango's account (again edited), Kagome found that she could not say anything for a moment.  
  
"Well…" she finally said.  
  
"What am I going to do?!"  
  
"It's--it's not as bad as it sounds, really!" Kagome tried to assure her. "What was he expecting, right?"  
  
"I slapped a sophomore!" This seemed to worry Sango more than anything.  
  
"He got nothing more than he deserved," said Kagome soothingly. "And nobody was there, anyway. It's not going to become public knowledge unless he himself will talk about it."  
  
Sango let out a groan. "Knowing him," she said, "he will DEFINITELY talk about it!"  
  
"Listen, would you like to go out for a while tomorrow? Let's talk about it some more then, okay?"  
  
"Okay…"  
  
"Get some sleep."  
  
Kagome replaced the receiver and decided it was time for some drastic action for both of them.  
  
***************************  
  
Do you think presents on a first date are passé or suspicious? ( Most of my friends think so! 


	11. Resolutions

Dokyusei  
  
by  
  
Nana  
  
Chapter 11  
  
Resolutions  
  
****************************  
  
Disclaimer: But you guys know it all by now!  
  
Author's Note: Gomen nasai! I can't help it, but I've taken the liberty to give Miroku a mom in this story. After all, he is only 17 years old here. No need to be too harsh as to deprive him of a family in modern times ( She's first mentioned here, but her character will take shape later as the story progresses. Also, certain rambles by Miroku are actually lines taken from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet Act II Scene I. (Thanks, Kaerra!). Please R&R and tell me what you think!  
  
  
  
****************************  
  
Fukuzawa Miroku walked down the sunlit avenue, hands in the pockets of his jeans, his thoughts far away.  
  
Saturday morning had found him wide awake and irritable. He had dozed off in the late hours of Friday night and had awakened with a jolt from some nameless, troubled dream long before daybreak. Much to his irritation, he found he could not go back to sleep and, after much tossing and turning, decided to lie back quietly in bed to put his disheveled thoughts in order.  
  
And it seemed his thoughts had taken over completely since then.  
  
So here he was, walking down the street. The sky above him was a deep powder blue, the sun was shining benevolently, but he was oblivious to everything around him.  
  
Everything was beyond him.  
  
Except, maybe, for some memories that kept rising to tease and torture, no matter how firm his resolution to keep them shut out from his mind.  
  
No matter what angle he tried turning to view the events that happened yesterday, it all emerged as an unqualified disaster.  
  
Never, in a million years, would he have thought himself capable of losing his cool like that.  
  
It was a total disgrace.  
  
And no amount of arguing, no amount of weighing the pros and cons of the situation would change that fact.  
  
Perhaps what had shaken him really badly was the fact that Sango did not do anything at all--perhaps the girl may not even realize she had won. Everything that happened, he had brought down upon himself.  
  
His motive in showing up yesterday at the track oval had been simple enough: it was another round of engaging Mikagi Sango in a battle of wits. Come to think of it, he was really looking forward to these sparring matches more and more.  
  
He had not been prepared for the consequences, though.  
  
And all it took was for Sango to smile at Takagi THAT way.  
  
And that remark! What the hell kind of remark was that?! What did it mean???  
  
"Ask Takagi-senpai…"  
  
Of course he had not believed the implication. In fact, he had been a little disappointed at Sango for having to resort to insinuations that were obviously untrue.  
  
Only, it wasn't.  
  
Maybe that was when things really started to get out of control--when Sango had gone into the dressing room to change, and he had continued to stare tersely at Takagi with raised eyebrows, waiting for his confirmation that Sango had lied.  
  
Takagi merely shrugged. "Well, we did go out a few times during junior high," he admitted, nonchalantly.  
  
That answer had completely thrown him off course.  
  
Miroku did not bother to analyze what went through him just then. It was completely irrational, this sudden, violent urge to throw a punch at Takagi. He was, after all, his friend.  
  
Instead, he managed to smile sardonically, thinking all was not lost. Yet.  
  
So what if they really went out a few times in the past? Sango had better not think to hide behind Takagi. He's got a girlfriend already, so he really shouldn't matter to her at this point.  
  
Should he??  
  
The more he thought about it, the more he fumed. He knew he was making a ghastly mistake, but all of a sudden it was important that he should hear it from Sango herself. He needed to hear her say her past relationship with Takagi, or whatever it was, did not matter.  
  
And so he had waited for her.  
  
And got what he deserved.  
  
In the bright morning light, he touched the bruise on his left cheek gingerly. Thank goodness the angry red handprint had disappeared, but after all the cold compresses he had applied the night before to make it go away, it still stung a little.  
  
He made a turn down the road and stopped at the gate of a two-story house. The placard outside bearing the name of the family residing in the house read: TAKAGI.  
  
He rang the doorbell.  
  
When his own mother opened the door of their house yesterday and noted the bruise, he had replied easily with, "I ran into the door of the debate room."  
  
Of course, Okasan did not seem entirely convinced, but she had let the matter drop.  
  
Now, with Takagi answering the door to his home, he said just as easily, "I ran into the open door of my closet in the dark."  
  
"Oh." Takagi looked at the bruise curiously, but he seemed satisfied and left it at that. After all, he was not someone to ask too many questions.  
  
"You know you didn't have to come all the way here just to do the pictures," said Takagi as they made their way to his room. "I can easily do that on my own."  
  
"No sweat. I said I'd come so I did," Miroku said. "Assembling the pictures will be much faster this way."  
  
Of course, Takagi was right. The article for the school paper was complete. Miroku didn't have to bother coming here except for one reason: Takagi was from the photography club and he had loads of school pictures. Miroku was interested in seeing some of them.  
  
Takagi opened the door to his room. The low table in the center was filled with photographs from all sorts of clubs. The finished article was already posted onto the dummy newspaper they had been working on, but it still had sections and sections of free space for photos.  
  
They sat on the floor and started sifting through the pile, talking idly about anything and everything. Pictures from academic events mingled with sports activities. Here and there were familiar faces: a pretty good shot of sword practice with that senior Sesshou Maru in full Kendo gear, his long white hair tied at the back and a bokken raised in the air, sending his opponent to the ground. Scattered were some of Miroku's own pictures when he got elected as president of the debate team. Another picture showed a flurry of bright colors from the cheerleading squad with that freshman-- what was her name? Murukami Kagura?--at the front, pompoms in hand.  
  
Drama Club's Mizuhara Yura suspended near the ceiling of the school auditorium by fine wirings as they tried to re-enact a scene from Peter Pan. Miroku smiled, remembering how the wirings had not been able to support the weight of a guy, so they had to use Yura instead. More pictures from the English Club, headed by adviser Mrs. Kaede with vice-president Kitahara Kikyou by her side. Pretty, but too serious. Way too serious, Miroku reflected, gazing at her calm face before flicking the picture away.  
  
A picture of Takagi with fellow photographer Murukami Kanna, whose long white locks, delicate frame and blank features contrasted sharply with those of her vivacious cheerleader-sister Kagura.  
  
He pasted a picture of the school's disreputable (but highly popular) basketball club whose top five players were from the so-called Shichinin- Tai gang headed by Bankotsu Keiji, onto the newspaper dummy. They never really played fair, these goons, but their teamwork was something else. These vultures stuck to each other through thick and thin, no matter what.  
  
Miroku suppressed a shudder as he turned a picture over and saw the grinning face of Jakotsu Shuiichi, one of the younger additions to the Shichinin-Tai. That stupid moron. Miroku, cool as he'd like to think he was, was nearing freak-out stage where this…er…admirer was concerned.  
  
Central Student Council president Mizuno Naraku's picture came tumbling out of the scenery before him like a fly that refused to be swatted away. Miroku was familiar with the hushed, vague rumors about the CSC president, but so far none had dared to step forward with any concrete evidence. Miroku spared him the barest of glances before flicking his picture out of his sight.  
  
More pictures…Science Club, Glee Club, separate shots of the school faculty outside the main building. Spare pictures of students shot at random. A shot of Kouga Shizuki and his gang prowling moodily around campus. A pretty aimless lot, thought Miroku.  
  
What's this? Miroku picked up a picture of a boy taken a good distance away. His scowl, though, was still pretty much evident. Wasn't this the guy whom he had a skirmish with just days ago? The one who's been following the beautiful Higurashi around relentlessly? What was his name again? Oh, yeah. Inu Yasha. Weird name.  
  
A bunch of track photos came behind, and there she was. Frozen forever in time, her long, graceful legs a vague blur, seemingly never touching ground as she ran. A second picture, a close-up, of her grinning delightedly at the camera as she held up her medal. Another one with her in a group of fellow runners.  
  
Miroku kept up his stream of idle chatter, his face giving away nothing as he appeared to look at Sango's pictures casually. He flipped the pictures as he ran through them quickly, as though he was not at all interested. A careless shuffle, the nudge of an elbow sent pictures tumbling to the floor.  
  
When it came to selecting pictures for track and field, Takagi came to shuffling at the untidy array of pictures on the table and on the floor.  
  
"I know I had this shot of Mikagi with her medal somewhere," he muttered, spreading out the photos. "It was from the last tournament."  
  
"Where?" Miroku asked, his face a study of polite interest as he leaned over to take a better look at Takagi's side of the table.  
  
After a short, confused search, Takagi said, "Odd. I can't find it anywhere."  
  
"You sure you had it?" Miroku searched his side of the table and floor.  
  
"Yeah. But--"  
  
"Hey, wait. How about these?" Miroku offered some of the other group pictures he found by his side. "They'll do just as well."  
  
"Yeah," said Takagi, frowning slightly. "I suppose they will."  
  
Miroku watched placidly as Takagi pasted three pictures neatly onto the newspaper dummy. "It'll turn up," he reassured him a few minutes later.  
  
"Huh?" Takagi looked up. He appeared to have forgotten Sango's picture altogether.  
  
Miroku sighed inaudibly, fighting a sudden wave of impatience he could not understand. "Nothing."  
  
*********************  
  
Miroku sighed again as he made his way back from Takagi's house sometime later. For some weird reason, he felt…bad.  
  
Perhaps this was what guilt felt like. He wouldn't really know, as he had never felt it before. And why should he feel guilty, anyway? Takagi was so clueless. Besides, he had no use for it anyway.  
  
Just what the hell was wrong with him? What could he possibly want this badly?  
  
The answer lay in his pocket, and he took it out slowly, gently smoothing out the creases from the picture.  
  
This was what he had come all the way to Takagi's house for.  
  
Pathetic. He wasn't proud of it, but he couldn't help himself either.  
  
He had seen her angry, derisive, and haughty. He had even seen her look nervous and hell, he had seen how she smiled at Takagi. But he had never seen her smile like this before. It was all happy and genuine. Relaxed. It was surprising to see how it altered her face completely, as if a burst of radiance had crossed her features.  
  
Miroku looked into her smiling eyes. As always, she had with her this bright, clear-eyed expression. As if she understood the situation around her completely. They were the same clear, no-nonsense eyes that had stared into his with contempt.  
  
She was very sure of herself, wasn't she? Sure of the unwavering opinion she had formed of him. Sure that he was nothing more than grub under her feet. Sure that she could handle him.  
  
And Miroku was not someone to disoblige a lady. If she were challenging him to prove her wrong, then far be it in his conscience to decline.  
  
But something different had happened yesterday.  
  
It had started out the usual way. He had seen to it he made her nervous. It was his favorite part of the game. He liked to see Sango jump at the sound of her name. It was proof that she was not as unaffected as she claimed.  
  
But then he had to go look into her eyes.  
  
It had been a fatal mistake. Because once he started looking, he found that he could not bring himself to look away. Between one breath and the next, he had lost himself in the game of his own devising. He stood there rooted, sanity dispersing as he caught himself thinking illogically how he could have missed noticing that her dark brown eyes had small flecks of hazel in them. He should never forget that small detail ever again.  
  
He had been so preoccupied that he had forgotten how to deal his cards properly, had given her a completely honest answer when she threw back her triumphant question of why he wanted to know what Takagi was to her.  
  
"I don't know…"  
  
Miroku sighed as he mentally reviewed the wasted opportunity. He could still have won the round if he had only kept his cool. But he was nowhere near to feeling cool when his gaze shifted to her face, to her cheek, rosy from practice.  
  
Warning bells had been pealing loudly and distinctly in his brain by this time, but there was no stopping the sudden, overwhelming urge to reach out and touch this girl who was nearer to him now than he could ever get her to be. Her skin--could it possibly feel as soft as he had imagined it against his hand?  
  
Gently, almost fearfully, his fingers grazed her cheek, and he lost himself in the moment when she did not move away. When he knew she was not going to bolt, he gradually moved to settle more of his hand onto her cheek, cupping it loosely. Miroku had been surprised to find that it was indeed soft, and so very warm. And as his thumb ventured to brush across her dry, parted lips, he waited to see if his heart would stop.  
  
Wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied…? From some distant corner of his brain, a passage from one of his readings came floating by.  
  
But what satisfaction canst thou have tonight?  
  
He had always thought that Romeo was the biggest fool Shakespeare had ever created, but at that moment, he could almost empathize with the character.  
  
In the end, it was a good thing she came to her senses just in time. There was no telling how this scenario was going to end. A boy, touching a girl's cheek in a rapidly darkening garden of the school. Not exactly an innocent scene.  
  
And not just any girl. A girl in need of being taught a lesson. How could he possibly expect a happy ending?  
  
He had seen it coming, had seen her palm trace a wide arc in the air, but he made no attempt to avoid the blow.  
  
He had stood there for long minutes after she had gone, his hand slowly reaching up to touch the angry red handprint on his face as he noted the stinging pain at last. Kami, but she knew how to slap people.  
  
He smiled ruefully. He had never thought he would one day be thankful to Mikagi Sango. Without her realizing it, she had saved him from himself.  
  
Imagine that.  
  
"Only now", he thought, coming back to the present to find his fingers unconsciously tracing the lines of her face in the picture, "I can never trust myself to touch you. Not this way. Never again. I cannot afford to make the same mistake twice. As much as I hate trouble, I hate losing even more. And you have given me no other alternative but to win. In the meantime, I have this. It will have to do…"  
  
But even as he made the pledge to himself, Miroku wondered if he could possibly stick to his new resolution.  
  
Nothing had changed, he thought. The games will go on. He would just have to be more careful, that's all.  
  
In the meantime, perhaps Hachi would be able to present his initial report at the end of the day. Pretty soon, he would have more material from which to plan his next strategy.  
  
**********************  
  
"What we need to do is to fight back. What we need is a plan," said Kagome grimly as she and Sango went around the mall the next day. They were currently seated in a small café, planning strategies.  
  
"Right," said Sango. "How to best throw annoying boys off our backs."  
  
"Okay. You know what I've been thinking?" said Kagome carefully. "I was thinking that the only way we're going to get hurt by all their antics is if we care a little."  
  
"What do you mean?" Sango asked suspiciously. "That's vague, don't you think? If you're going to ask me, of course I'll say I care because he's making me look like a fool--"  
  
"Well, do you care about him?" Kagome asked bluntly.  
  
Sango nearly choked on her coffee. "NO!!!!" she hissed. "Well, what about you?! DO you care about Inu Yasha…I mean, that way?"  
  
"Of course not," said Kagome in what she hoped was a dignified way. "I mean it really doesn't matter. Although, you know…your situation with Fukuzawa Miroku is something else entirely…"  
  
She trailed off. Not sure if she should proceed.  
  
"What?" Sango said immediately. "WHAT?"  
  
Kagome was remembering the corridor incident where Fukuzawa Miroku had gotten Sango into a corner.  
  
"Are you sure you don't have anybody else in mind you'd like to visit?"  
  
It was indeed calculated to embarrass, but there had been something else there. She had been thinking and thinking about it, about the tone of voice Fukuzawa had used. And now she was finally able to pin it down. Teasing aside, he sounded almost…hopeful.  
  
She told Sango this.  
  
"Now, don't get me wrong," said Kagome hastily as she saw Sango narrow her eyes dangerously. "It's just that you really have to entertain the possibility that he likes you, because that's where your solution will lie. You can use that, you know."  
  
"But he doesn't!" cried Sango, exasperated. "Kagome! He told me he's just answering a challenge!"  
  
"But it could change. I think the focus is already changing. He took your bait, didn't he?" said Kagome. "For one thing, I don't think Fukuzawa- senpai is the type of guy who would stick to someone he doesn't like. He's not a martyr. Come to think of it, he's acting like a kid--tease your crush to death and all that."  
  
Sango huffed but could not think of anything to say. The prospect of him liking her seemed worse than his hating her. But why did she feel…excited?  
  
"So…what do you think I should do?" she finally asked.  
  
Kagome smiled sweetly. "Why, torture him, of course! It kind of worked yesterday, didn't it?"  
  
Despite herself, Sango smiled. "Yeah. I guess it did," she said a little shyly.  
  
******************************  
  
"Well? What about you? How are you going to deal with Inu Yasha?" Sango asked as they emerged from a clothes store.  
  
Kagome sighed. "Well," she said inadequately. "I really---er…hmmm…well, I'll just ignore him."  
  
"You've been doing that for the last few days," pointed out Sango. "I don't think he could stand being ignored."  
  
"Good point," muttered Kagome. "The trouble with him is he's so stuck on Kitahara Kikyou he thinks I'm her extension just because we look a bit alike."  
  
"Then you have to find somebody of your own!" announced Sango brightly. "That's it! That's your solution!"  
  
Kagome laughed. "Right. Like who?"  
  
"Well…you'll never know," said Sango mysteriously. "There just might be someone out there who really likes you. Then you can torture Inu Yasha! AND he'll have no choice but to stay away, right?"  
  
"Well, I really don't know, but okay. In theory, I guess that might work," said Kagome. "Oooh! Bookstore! Let's take a peek at the Romance section!"  
  
Sango stopped and eyed her incredulously. "You…you mean…YOU, TOO?" She said loudly.  
  
They burst out laughing.  
  
"So who's your favorite author?" Kagome asked as they went through the rows and rows of books, manga mostly.  
  
"Well, it's hard to say. But I'm more into shojo manga," said Sango. "Historicals are pretty nice.. I also enjoy collecting women's manga-- office romances and such. How about you?"  
  
"Sweet romances are more my style," said Kagome.  
  
She picked a Mills and Boon title. "Now this," she said dryly, "would help us with our review for the English exam!"  
  
It turned out to be a highly enjoyable day, but they had to leave early to begin their review.  
  
"So, Sango-chan," concluded Kagome as they were about to go their separate ways. "What is our resolution when it comes to annoying boys?"  
  
"If they cannot be ignored, then by all means torture them!"  
  
************************  
  
I'm not sure if American/European romance writers are a big hit in Japan, although I'm quite sure they sell their books there too. I think Harlequin Mills and Boon sell pretty well. Or maybe not. They only sell these in the big bookstores. Shojo/women's manga magazines are still more popular among Japanese women, I suspect.  
  
Vocabulary:  
  
Okasan- mother. Well, this is actually more of a point of view. Kagome refers to her mother as 'Mama', but I can't seem to imagine Miroku calling his mother that, even in the present time. What do you think? 


	12. Masks

Dokyusei  
  
by  
  
Nana  
  
Chapter 12  
  
Masks  
  
  
  
  
  
****************************  
  
Disclaimer: Inu Yasha ain't mine (although I wish he were!).  
  
Author's Note: WHEEE~~!!! I'm back! Bwahahaha…! Honestly, I think the past month has driven me insane at last! Oh well, to get away from it all, here's another chapter, this time in Inu Yasha's POV (well, this and the next chapter). Expect a bit of strong language and possible mistakes with details concerning Kendo (man, this part was the hardest thing to do in this chapter! Things might get too technical! Gomen in advance).  
  
A glossary of Kendo terms as well as Internet sources are at the bottom of the page, although I must stress that all possible mistakes are mine. Whatever happens, I do hope you will enjoy! Please read and review! ^^  
  
****************************  
  
Monday dawned cold and wet.  
  
Sheets of rain fell steadily over the city, muffling the sounds of a beginning weekday to a gentle, persistent murmur of raindrops.  
  
Plush, plush, plush…  
  
Ick! Kagome thought, grimacing as she hurried along the wet sidewalk on the way to school. If she were not careful, her shoes and socks would be thoroughly wet by the time she got to class.  
  
Why does it have to rain? She thought, glumly, clutching her umbrella.  
  
"Hey! Wait up!"  
  
Through the sound of rain, Kagome didn't realize the call was directed at her until it was repeated. She turned back to look at the insolent caller, annoyed.  
  
She should have known.  
  
Inu Yasha came bounding up, his white hair gleaming with droplets of rain, a long, carefully wrapped package on his back.  
  
"Watch it!" Kagome snapped, avoiding the splash of water his feet made as Inu Yasha ducked under her umbrella.  
  
"Great timing!" He said in an unusual bout of good mood. "I thought I was going to drown in this downpour!"  
  
Kagome eyed him sourly. "Well, you should have brought an umbrella along!"  
  
"No time for that!" said Inu Yasha, taking off his bundle and looking at it tenderly. "Took me a while to take care of this!"  
  
Kagome peered at him curiously before shifting her gaze on the package as they resumed walking. "What is it?" she asked.  
  
"My shinai," he announced proudly. "It's my first day at Kendo Club."  
  
"You're joining Kendo?" Kagome couldn't believe Inu Yasha would think to join anything remotely resembling a school club.  
  
Inu Yasha gave her an oblique look. "You make it sound so uncool," he said.  
  
Strangely enough, there was a hint of a smile on his lips.  
  
Kagome stared, not sure if she were seeing things. Was he really trying to make conversation?  
  
"No!" said Kagome, beginning to smile in spite of herself. "It's just, I never thought, you know, you and Kendo--"  
  
"What?" demanded Inu Yasha, trying to look offended. "You never thought I'd be in for Kendo? My father practically trained me!"  
  
Kagome blinked at Inu Yasha, dumbfounded. What was it with him this morning? He had never been this chatty before. At least, he had never treated her like this before.  
  
Is he like this when he's trying to be… nice? wondered Kagome.  
  
They continued to walk silently for a few seconds, the moment becoming awkward as Inu Yasha realized he had said more than he had intended.  
  
"I mean…" Inu Yasha attempted to sound casual, trying to make the best out of his blurted statement. "That was when he was alive…so…that was a long time ago…"  
  
He trailed off, beginning to look uncomfortable.  
  
Kagome merely nodded, not sure what to say.  
  
Their eyes met for one brief instant, and Inu Yasha looked away quickly. In that one instant, the fragile bubble that seemed to envelop them for a few moments burst.  
  
Kagome could almost feel the change coming over him, like a curtain falling over his features--a mask falling into place. When he spoke next, it seemed that he had returned to his normal self.  
  
"Ha!" he said, beginning to smirk as he looked straight ahead. "Of course, I have to get past the qualification round, but that will be a cinch. After I pass that--"  
  
"They've got a qualification round?"  
  
"Sure," said Inu Yasha impatiently. "It's because they've got so many applicants. At any rate, I'm sure it'll be a breeze."  
  
It seemed as though the Inu Yasha she had been talking to earlier had vanished completely, leaving her with an annoying stranger--no, not a stranger. The one earlier had been the stranger.  
  
The person before her now was the Inu Yasha Kagome had come to know in the past week. The one whose views she wasn't sure she could happily share. The one she had promised herself she was going to torture.  
  
"Don't you think you'd better put a low profile, especially since that Kendo Club president has you marked?" she asked.  
  
"Who? Sesshou Maru? HA!" said Inu Yasha. "He doesn't own the damn club."  
  
Kagome regarded him with lidded eyes.  
  
Well, if he was being foolhardy, it wasn't really her place to warn him so. Besides, didn't she have an agreement with Sango that she was going to torture this guy? Yet here she was! For a moment there she felt she was going to melt because they had a few minutes of decent conversation!  
  
A decent conversation until he had to remember his role and act like a jerk, that was.  
  
Kagome sighed.  
  
"Honestly, why do you want to join Kendo?" she asked a little flatly.  
  
"Are you kidding?" Inu Yasha couldn't believe his ears. "This is what I've always wanted to do!"  
  
"Yeah? But why?"  
  
"What do you mean why?" Inu Yasha stared at Kagome, genuinely bewildered. "It's the way of the sword--it's a fighting skill! It's a-- umm…"  
  
He fixed Kagome with an exasperated look, not sure if she was doing this just to annoy him.  
  
And he wouldn't be entirely wrong on that one, either, thought Kagome acidly. She wouldn't be surprised at all if he was learning Kendo to beat other people up.  
  
"Hmph. And I was prepared to be impressed if you were going to say you're learning Kendo so you can protect people," she muttered.  
  
"What's THAT supposed to mean?" he spluttered before his eyes grew round with sudden understanding. "Oh, I get it. You mean, like protect you from--let's say--Kouga?"  
  
Where did THAT come from????  
  
Kagome stopped walking abruptly, her face turning red, a small vein beginning to pop on her temple.  
  
Unfortunately, Inu Yasha did not appear to notice.  
  
"Feh! Listen, you!" he continued. "I'm going to be a famous swordsman one day. The sword skill I'm learning is not going to be used to protect the likes of you, so get real! H-HEY!!!"  
  
All of a sudden Inu Yasha was left standing in the rain, and further moves to get himself under the sanctuary of the umbrella were repelled with surprising vigor.  
  
"Don't you come near me or this umbrella, you wretch!" Kagome threw over her shoulder as she hurried off into the gates of the school.  
  
She was a fool to lower her defenses and think he would turn nice. Boy, she was really going to enjoy torturing this guy. Now, if only she had a plan…  
  
************************  
  
"That jerk," agreed Sango sympathetically as she listened to Kagome's account.  
  
They were sitting at the back of the classroom at recess.  
  
"Where is he, by the way?" Sango turned around to scan the room for the culprit.  
  
"I'm sure he's showing off his swords somewhere," said Kagome, bitterly.  
  
"To whom?" Sango asked with an arched brow. It was pretty well known Inu Yasha had no friends.  
  
"Sango, we've got to start devising a plan," said Kagome.  
  
At this point, Sango turned to her with a strange expression. "Do you really, really mean that, Kagome?" she asked. "Back in the mall, I thought you were just saying it to make me feel better. Are you sure you're going to go through with this?"  
  
"Well, yeah. I'm sure."  
  
"Okay then. I've got just the person for you," she said, beginning to smile.  
  
*************************  
  
The person Sango had in mind turned out to be her lab partner. A tall, nice-looking boy with short brown hair and an easy smile. Now what was his name again?  
  
"Kagome-chan, this is Houjo-kun. Houjo-kun, Higurashi-kun," said Sango a bit too loudly as she made the intro before Science Lab could start.  
  
She stared pointedly at Inu Yasha, who was seated a few feet away from Kagome. He did not seem to have heard, though. He was too busy looking at the contents of the cylindrical package he had brought with him to the lab table.  
  
"It's so nice to meet you, Higurashi-kun," said Houjo pleasantly.  
  
Kagome could only nod and smile wanly.  
  
This was it? This was the person Sango wanted to introduce to her? She's kidding, right?!  
  
She stole a look at Inu Yasha, and sighed. He did not even appear to have noticed the small exchange.  
  
Sango caught her look and sighed as well.  
  
"Well, I know he's kind of lame, but…well, he's a start," Sango said in an undertone as Houjo said his pleasantries and left. "He's very friendly and responsible, and he's been asking me all sorts of questions about you."  
  
"Sango…"  
  
"Just give this a shot," urged Sango. "It doesn't mean you have to like him or anything."  
  
Kagome sighed, not sure if this was a good idea after all.  
  
***********************  
  
"Higurashi!"  
  
Kagome turned to see Houjo approach them as they made their way back to their homeroom after Science Lab.  
  
Inu Yasha, who was trailing behind, finally took notice and frowned.  
  
About time…! Kagome thought, sighing. Beside her, Sango smiled encouragingly.  
  
Kagome attempted a bright smile at Houjo's direction. "Hai?"  
  
"That was some session, huh?" Houjo said. "Imagine Myouga-sensei asking us to do overtime for Experiment 3?"  
  
"Yeah. That was some session alright." Kagome was not at all keen on staying an extra hour or two after school just to assemble a complicated lab apparatus for the upcoming experiment, but there was nothing she could do about it.  
  
She and Inu Yasha had already fought over it while still in the lab.  
  
"What do you mean after classes TODAY???" He had bellowed. "I've got KENDO practice, remember?!"  
  
"Oh right, I forgot all about your Kendo practice," Kagome had said sarcastically. "Assuming you can get IN the club!"  
  
That had turned out badly.  
  
So now they were not on speaking terms. Again.  
  
It also meant Kagome would be left to do the set-up all by herself later.  
  
"Well, I--that is, Mikagi-kun and I--are going to assemble our apparatus later too, so--" Houjo trailed off, throwing a cautious look at Inu Yasha, who was now glowering at him. Apparently, Houjo had caught the gist of her argument with Inu Yasha earlier.  
  
Houjo turned back to Kagome with a look of purpose in his eyes. "If you need any help," he said.  
  
Kagome smiled, unable to keep the admiration from her voice. "Arigatou, Houjo-kun."  
  
"You see, Kagome-chan?" said Sango happily as they entered the classroom. "I told you he's really nice."  
  
"Yeah." Kagome could not help but feel her stomach lurch at the thought of using a guy as nice as Hojou as an instrument in her war against Inu Yasha.  
  
*********************  
  
The moment the bell rang to signify the end of classes that afternoon, Inu Yasha slung his shinai over his shoulder and prepared to leave.  
  
Only, he had one tiny problem.  
  
His feet were refusing to obey.  
  
He remained rooted beside his table, his feet refusing to walk, refusing to put as much distance as they can between him and the girl who was stuffing her books back in her bag next to him.  
  
What the hell…? He thought, exasperated. There was no way he was going to do what a small, treacherous part of his mind was urging him to do the whole day.  
  
No way!  
  
"Oi," he finally said.  
  
Shit!  
  
Kagome did not turn, but he saw her stiffen. That was good enough.  
  
"You sure you'll be alright with the lab thing?" The words came out in a rush, as if he were trying to get them out of his system as quickly as he could before he could die with the shame of having to say them.  
  
So there. He did it.  
  
He could feel goosebumps breaking out on his arm, and he fought to supress a shudder.  
  
Man, this was soooooo UNCOOL!!! He did not have to do this! Why would he want to stoop so low???  
  
Kagome threw him an acid look. "As if it will mean anything to you," she said in a voice matching her expression.  
  
Well, that's right! He thought, agreeing with her heartily. I can't possibly care less! Just because I asked doesn't mean I care or anything…right?  
  
"Why can't we just do it tomorrow?" He found himself asking, much to his mortification.  
  
Kagome slammed her bag down on her table. "Look," she said. "I don't have to go around hanging onto your schedule, okay? I don't want to do this tomorrow, or any other day! I want it over and done with! If you can't make it today, fine. I don't need any further aggravation from you!"  
  
"Kagome!" Sango called from the doorway where she was waiting with Houjo.  
  
"Feh!" he managed to say, relieved to find that the brief exchange had successfully convinced his feet to get going. "That's totally fine with me."  
  
With that, he turned and went off before Kagome could even move.  
  
There was no way he was going to go through the task of seeing her walk out on him. Not again.  
  
He did not think he could bear it.  
  
*********************  
  
Inu Yasha sighed as he made for the Kendo Club, whose lair was in the basement of the building. Outside, the rain continued to fall, casting a gray, somber mood around the rapidly emptying corridor.  
  
And to think he had been excited earlier on.  
  
I don't need any further aggravation from you…  
  
The girl's words kept coming back to haunt him.  
  
Was that what he was to her? A nuisance? A fly she could swat away?  
  
Baka! He shouted at himself. Since when did he start to regard her as anything important anyway?  
  
How many times did he have to feel this strange, lancing pain deep inside him every time she turned and stalked off? And yet, he could not bear to have her so close to him, either. He could not help but like how she smiled, and yet he wanted nothing more than to wipe that smile off her face.  
  
It was all so weird, this irresistible urge to get near her and run away from her at the same time.  
  
After what he had gone through the last few weeks, he could never bring himself to trust another girl ever again.  
  
So how could this girl make things so difficult?  
  
And what was that nicey-nicey shithead Houjo doing hanging around her all of a sudden? The sudden appearance of Houjo, like Kouga and Fukuzawa before him, infuriated Inu Yasha. And as usual, he refused to ask himself why.  
  
Even then, a wave of fury passed over him as a thought, unbidden, came crashing into his mind: Is Houjo the type of guy Kagome would go for? The nice, squeaky clean, dweeby guy who made him want to puke?  
  
Get a grip!!!! He thought, roughly pushing the unwelcome thought away.  
  
So what if he was? So what if Kagome liked the Houjos of this world? He-- Inu Yasha-- couldn't care less, remember?!  
  
IdontcareIdontcareidontcareIdontcare…!  
  
And yet…  
  
He could sense that something was up, and he had a feeling Mikagi Sango was in on the whole game. After all, Houjo was her lab partner, wasn't he? At the very least, she should know what was going on.  
  
Well, then, he had better have a talk with Mikagi soon.  
  
But he didn't have time to worry about that now. He was nearing the doors of the Kendo Club. Very soon, he was going to learn just how much shit he was going to take in pursuit of a dream.  
  
***********************  
  
A distinct chill awaited him the minute he stepped inside.  
  
Everybody seemed to know he was coming.  
  
People in the middle of warm-up practice paused to stare. The older members, presumably Sesshou Maru's co-seniors, regarded him with narrowed eyes.  
  
A small, fidgety sophomore--what was his name again? Moriyama Jaken?--came bustling up, regarding him with malevolent, pop-out eyes.  
  
"You've got some nerve showing up in the middle of warm-up practice, Nishi Inu Yasha," he greeted the newcomer. "You expect us to accept you with this kind of attitude?"  
  
"It's only five minutes after three!" Inu Yasha protested, indicating his watch.  
  
"You're five minutes late!" Moriyama spat. "That's one point off your qualification grade! Put your practice clothes on! You will be having your shiai qualification match with Kamigata after stretching exercises."  
  
For a split second, Inu Yasha considered putting his foot through the toad's face. That, of course, would mean he would be kicked out of this club faster than he could say "unfair".  
  
But this was what he was expecting, wasn't it? The fact that Sesshou Maru was nowhere to be found was already a big plus (not--Inu Yasha thought with a huff--that he was afraid of that bighead idiot or anything), but it seemed he had endorsed Inu Yasha's case to his officers very well.  
  
Inu Yasha changed into his kendogi and hakama, and quickly made his way back to the practice area.  
  
After stretching, the kendoka all assembled themselves at the sides to watch his qualification match. Kamigata, a nasty-looking hulk in kendo clothes, stood in the middle of the fencing mat, shinai in hand. He had put on his helmet and armor. Inu Yasha took one look and frowned.  
  
What the hell…? What was that idiot doing, getting himself overdressed for a mere qualification round with an applicant? He never realized he had them scared this badly!  
  
Do they treat all beginners this way? Inu Yasha thought, starting to smirk. Most probably not. They must be pretty eager to dig out a reason to expel him this early.  
  
Inu Yasha took a sweeping look at all the hushed, still faces, and realized he was definitely not going to get a fair trial. Not when Moriyama was going to act as referee. But what the hell…  
  
"Put on your gear, Nishi," Kamigata said, smirking. "Unless you want to leave this place in pieces."  
  
Snickers from the seniors.  
  
Inu Yasha opened his mouth to let fly a snide remark, thought better of it, and strapped on his armor as Moriyama rattled off the requirements. "Ten minutes. The first to score two points wins." Curt and succinct.  
  
Wasn't he going to tell him the point system and everything else as befitting a beginner's qualification round?  
  
Of course not! Because they've got everything planned, haven't they? Inu Yasha thought, his grim smile widening behind his mask. And it's not as if he needed telling, anyway…  
  
Well, in for a penny, in for a pound. Might as well show them what kind of applicant they were throwing away.  
  
When they were ready, both kendoka assumed the chudan position and, after Moriyama's signal, began their attack.  
  
**********************  
  
"This is a lot harder than we thought," puffed Houjo as he and Sango tried to get their apparatus pieces to fit.  
  
"Careful," gritted Sango. "One wrong move and we say bye-bye to all this glass!"  
  
"There! It's finished!"  
  
Kagome sighed, gazing at her own unfinished set-up.  
  
Well, this is all his fault, she thought furiously. While she was having trouble fixing this thing up, HE was out there enjoying Kendo and bashing people in.  
  
I should really have a word with Myouga-sensei, Kagome thought, darkly.  
  
"Here, let me help you with that, Higurashi-kun," offered Houjo.  
  
"No--really, I--"  
  
"Don't be silly," he said, smiling as he took the glass tube from Kagome.  
  
Kagome shot Sango a look. Sango merely shrugged, smiling.  
  
This was not going to do…  
  
Kagome went over to Sango. "I can't do this, Sango-chan," she said in a low tone. "Tell him to go away."  
  
"Kagome--"  
  
"He's too nice. I--it's not going to be fair," Kagome went on.  
  
Sango stared at her. "You don't like him?" she asked.  
  
"It's not that. I just don't like thinking he may get in trouble on my account."  
  
"You mean, Inu Yasha might turn on him? Dot you think Houjo has not thought about that?--oh, all right. Fine whatever," Sango said, shaking her head at Kagome's querulous look. "Only, if you must know, he begged me to introduce him to you, so…"  
  
Kagome stared as Sango nodded her head. "Yep. He did. And any move he has made is entirely his idea."  
  
Sango paused. "He really seems to like you, Kagome-chan," she said finally. "But of course, it's all up to you. Don't get pressured, okay?"  
  
Aloud, she said, "Houjo-kun, I have to get going."  
  
"Oh. Okay. See you tomorrow," Houjo called from Kagome's table. He made no indication to leave.  
  
Sango shot Kagome a See-What-I-Mean look.  
  
"Houjo-kun, thanks for the help, but I think I've got it all figured now," said Kagome, attempting to smile politely. "I'll see you tomorrow as well."  
  
Houjo blinked. "Oh. But you know, I can stay a while…" he began.  
  
"I'll be fine. Thanks."  
  
"Okay…well, see you tomorrow then…"  
  
"Don't stay up too late, Kagome," called Sango. "I'll call you later okay?"  
  
With that, Kagome was left to her own devices.  
  
***********************  
  
WHAP! THUD! WHAP!!!!  
  
"Kiai!!!" Kamigata shouted as his shinai sped through the air, but it whizzed past the target area of Inu Yasha's armor without making contact.  
  
WHAP! WHAPPPP!!!  
  
Ten minutes were almost up and both players had not yet reached a point. But what was making Kamigata sweat was the fact that this freshman had the gall to reach ten minutes with him without being beaten to a pulp. In fact, he had not been able to touch him!  
  
Moriyama swore silently. "C'mon, c'mon, Kamigata! What's the matter with you?" he said under his breath.  
  
The boss was not going to like this at all! He had told Kamigata specifically to wrap things up in less than two minutes! To wrap things up before he arrived!  
  
"Ha!" He called at random in a desperate act to derail Inu Yasha's concentration. "What kind of swordplay is THAT, Nishi?!"  
  
"What" came a quiet, smooth voice behind Jaken, "is the meaning of this?"  
  
Jaken could feel the hairs on his nape stand on end.  
  
"Se-Sesshou Maru-sama!!!" He cried as he whipped around and bowed low, panic coursing through him. "G-gomenasai!"  
  
Sesshou Maru was already dressed in his practice clothes, his arms crossed on his chest and a faint frown of displeasure on his brows. Standing behind the trembling Jaken, he towered over him. Everybody turned to regard him with curiosity and unease.  
  
"Didn't I say under two minutes?"  
  
"Y-yes, but--shall we call it off now?" Jaken asked hopefully.  
  
Sesshou Maru paused for a minute. "No," he said finally. "I want to see what he's got."  
  
The sparring match continued.  
  
WHIP! WHAP! THUD! WHAPPPP! Shinai flew through the air in a blur.  
  
"KIAIIII~~~!" Inu Yasha suddenly yelled as a chance finally came and he made for Kamigata's throat armor.  
  
"That's enough!" called Sesshou Maru as he started forward.  
  
Wha---?!!  
  
That effectively shattered Inu Yasha's move. The kendoka broke apart from each other.  
  
Sesshou Maru continued to advance to the center of the mat, as implacable as an advancing storm.  
  
"Sesshou Maru sama!" Kamigata heaved, his sweating face turning a sick, off- white color.  
  
"Two hundred subari strokes now, and practice with the kouhai for a week," Sesshou Maru said effortlessly without even looking at him.  
  
He continued to stare at Inu Yasha intently. If looks could kill, Inu Yasha would have been dead by now.  
  
Finally he said, "Take the men off. You are not even fit to wear armor yet."  
  
He began to pace around Inu Yasha as the younger boy took off the helmet and the steel cage that protected his face. "The manner of your movements and sword technique is…disappointing, to say the very least. Over the years, you have collected nothing but a string of bad habits when it comes to the sword. I'd say you've got some more months to go with the basics before you can get anywhere."  
  
Inu Yasha met his stare squarely. "Feh! Does it mean I passed the qualifications?"  
  
Sesshou Maru stopped in front of him.  
  
"What makes you think," asked Sesshou Maru, allowing a small, dangerous smile to start at the corner of his mouth, "that it's all over?"  
  
***********************  
  
Vocabulary: (unfortunately, there are lots of terms in this chapter!)  
  
bokken-wooden sword (used in more advanced classes in Kendo)  
  
chuddan-the basic position of Kendo-- The shinai is held two-handed in  
  
the middle of the body with the arms in a relaxed position; the left  
  
hand is behind the right. The tip points to the opponent's throat. The  
  
back is straight, the hips are cocked and the kendoka faces his opponent  
  
squarely.  
  
kendoka-students/players of Kendo  
  
kendogi-a heavy cotton tunic that serves as the upper garment that kendoka wear (hakama would be the divided, pleated skirt that serves as the lower garment)  
  
KIAIIII!!!- The kendoka must kiai with the name of the point as he attacks, showing  
  
both spirit and intent (did I get this right???)  
  
kouhai-under classmen  
  
men-helmet (more terms are used to describe the various parts of the Kendo armor--for more info, pls. check with the website below)  
  
shinai- the basic sword of Beginner's Kendo, made of bamboo  
  
shiai- sort of a combat practice with an opponent  
  
subari-basic practice strokes done with the shinai as part of warm-up or (to insult Kamigata) Beginner's practice  
  
*************************  
  
Sources lifted from (1) interesting discourses entitled "A Kendo Primer" by Neil Gendzwil and "A Kendo Tutorial" by Sarah Winters--lifted from an internet search.  
  
(2) a more extensive Kendo glossary at http://www.rain.org/~galvan/kndohome.html  
  
*************************  
  
Last note: I have taken the liberty of giving Inu Yasha a surname! Not an original tactic, as I realize some fics on ff.net have used this technique, but I agree it puts a nice touch to things. At least, it's a way for Sesshou Maru to distance himself from his accursed relation when in public! Nishi--meaning West--stands for Inu Yasha's father being Lord Youkai of the Western Lands.  
  
************************* 


	13. Incentive

Dokyusei  
  
by  
  
Nana  
  
Chapter 13  
  
Incentive  
  
*********************  
  
Disclaimer: Inu Yasha ain't mine (although I wish he were! He and Kagome and Miroku and Sango!).  
  
Author's Note: This chapter is still in Inu Yasha's POV. Well, his and Sesshou Maru's, so expect lots of strong language. Kendo rules are going to be broken here, so the mess and the illegal moves that will turn out are not reflective of the sword art, but rather the tumult that is going on inside this author's head!  
  
A glossary of Kendo terms as well as Internet sources are at the bottom of the page, although I must stress that all possible mistakes in Kendo are mine.  
  
Majority of the scenes here are patterned after Inu Yasha's first encounter with Sesshou Maru, way back in book two of the manga. Please read and review! ^^  
  
***********************  
  
The hours passed by.  
  
Practice was finally over; the kendoka had all gone their separate ways as the end of the day drew near.  
  
Outside, the rain continued to fall.  
  
In the brightly lit, nearly deserted Kendo Club, the stage was set for the final round.  
  
Sesshou Maru stood on one the center of the practice mat, wearing no armor and carrying nothing more than a battered shinai.  
  
In determining the end for Inu Yasha as far as Kendo Club was concerned, he could not be bothered to use better equipment to beat a useless opponent. Before he was through with him, Inu Yasha would end up as battered as the shinai before him now. And if he knew anything about this estranged half- brother of his, Sesshou Maru would also have the pleasure of beating him with nothing less than their father's sword.  
  
Inu Yasha stood before him, stripped of armor, his new shinai in hand.  
  
In the last couple of hours, he had been summarily dumped into one corner of the club and been made to endure the same humiliation as Kamigata by practicing beginner's subari strokes.  
  
Not that it really mattered, Inu Yasha had thought as he practiced away. After all, he was new here, and Kamigata, on the other hand, was a sophomore. Stealing a look at his previous opponent, Inu Yasha thought Kamigata was going to cry from the shame of it all.  
  
Inu Yasha had shifted his gaze to Sesshou Maru as he delivered a particularly savage shomen, effectively sending his opponent sprawling on the ground.  
  
It had been a long time since he had last seen Sesshou Maru practicing kendo; when their father had been alive, Sesshou Maru would come for kendo practice every Saturday afternoon at his father's new house. Inu Yasha supposed Otousan had meant to make them at least friends, although of course, even then the two brothers had nothing much to say to each other.  
  
Sesshou Maru, even at that age, had perfected the mask he wore and never gave anything away. Whole afternoons would pass by without his speaking a single word. Whatever tenuous ties Inu Yasha had with this strange entity disappeared since their father died three years ago.  
  
Inu Yasha felt a distinct chill run down his spine as he realized his older brother had improved greatly since then.  
  
And now, after three long years, here they were, standing on one end of each other, ready to fight, it seemed, to the death. What would Otousan have said if he knew things would turn out this way?  
  
"Prepare yourself, Inu Yasha," said Sesshou Maru as he tipped his body into chuddan position.  
  
Inu Yasha held out his shinai so that the swords barely touched each other.  
  
And there, in that brief moment that seemed like a lifetime, the fragile balance of the match was tested as the two opponents began their search for a possible avenue of attack. The minute, trembling movements the shinai made were the only things to testify to this great struggle already underway.  
  
To get pass the other's shinai was to clinch the round.  
  
The two shinai appeared only to tremble, belying the tension, the battle of wits and wills that lay behind the whole smooth façade.  
  
There were no pure motives to be found in this Kendo match--no philosophical aspects to be discovered, no self-improvement to be had. This match was deeply and desperately physical, with one kendoka desiring to destroy, and the other one resisting with all his will. Inu Yasha's might remained to be tested.  
  
For one split second, Sesshou Maru's shinai went still, then…  
  
WHISSSHHH…!  
  
What the--???  
  
Before Inu Yasha could even register what was happening, Sesshou Maru had gotten past his shinai, was suddenly there right in front of him, filling his line of vision, shinai raised, ready to deliver a blow to his head.  
  
Sesshou Maru had developed his skill to the point where sound was beyond him.  
  
It was all Inu Yasha could do to hold his shinai in reflex above his head.  
  
SSHHAPP!!! WHAP! THUD!  
  
Dammit! Thought Inu Yasha as the blow came down, sending him to his knees seemingly without effort.  
  
His shinai shook with the effort of holding off Sesshou Maru's. Shinai locked together, the two kendoka stood seemingly immobile, striking another balance in the match as neither refused to give way. Above him and terrifyingly near him, Sesshou Maru's face remained as bored and emotionless as it had always been.  
  
"Pathetic." He murmured, before raising his shinai to deal the last blow.  
  
Inu Yasha seized his chance and rolled away from the path of Sesshou Maru's sword, coming to his feet a few paces away, panting. Sesshou Maru's shinai met empty air.  
  
How the hell had Sesshou Maru been able to do that??? How was he able to move that fast?!  
  
Sesshou Maru turned leisurely, regarding Inu Yasha from the corner of his eyes. Slowly, as if he were just getting warmed up, he spread his arms sideways before bringing the shinai back at dead center before him.  
  
"Rusty reflexes," he said, before gliding off to the next phase of his attack.  
  
There were no pretensions now. No chuddan positions, no Kendo restrictions. Nothing to stop Sesshou Maru from having his way.  
  
"No focus," observed Sesshou Maru as Inu Yasha backpedaled from the force of his onslaught. "After all these years, it seems that you have not learned even this, the most simple and important of all Kendo principles. I am amazed Otousan would even think to let you practice with him."  
  
Dammit, he was right. Inu Yasha fought desperately to maintain focus, but he could not muster it. Not when Sesshou Maru was making it so damn difficult.  
  
"FEH! Is that it? Is that the only thing behind this whole farce?" Inu Yasha spat. He was having an extremely difficult time warding off the series of blows from Sesshou Maru, but apparently, the blows were not enough to keep his mouth shut.  
  
So this was all about Otousan--the whole, complicated issue had boiled down to the almost-universal reason behind the phenomenon of sibling rivalry.  
  
Sesshou Maru frowned and with one final, well-placed hit, managed to smash Inu Yasha's shinai from his hands.  
  
A totally illegal move.  
  
Inu Yasha winced as the pain lanced through his hands. "What's the matter?" he said, nursing his hand. "Afraid you might not win when you make your moves all legal?"  
  
Before he could even blink, Sesshou Maru was there before him. Without even so much as changing his deadpan expression, he sent a fist through Inu Yasha's cheek. The force of it sent Inu Yasha sprawling.  
  
Sesshou Maru calmly sidestepped him and continued along the edge of the room. He stopped and picked up the package Inu Yasha used to keep his swords.  
  
"Just as I thought," murmured Sesshou Maru as he unwrapped the other sword Inu Yasha had brought along. "I knew you'd find it hard to leave Otousan's ken behind. Although I have to say it adds to your impertinence. What could possibly make you think you deserve to wield it at this stage?"  
  
"Look, I can't afford to buy another shinai just yet, okay?" Inu Yasha flung at him.  
  
"So you think you can bring a bokken along?" Sesshou Maru regarded him with raised brows, holding up the wooden sword. "Do you really think you can use it for practice? Do you really believe I will allow it?"  
  
Inu Yasha slowly sat up, wincing.  
  
"Or have you thought far ahead to anticipate using it against me?" Sesshou Maru asked quietly, correctly interpreting Inu Yasha's sudden silence. "You've got your work cut out then. We haven't even begun."  
  
He paced around Inu Yasha.  
  
"I cannot believe that Otousan would pour in all his time and effort in making you a kendoka just so you'd end up like this," said Sesshou Maru. "Surely, you can do better. What incentive do you need, Inu Yasha?"  
  
For a moment, Inu Yasha did not get it. What the hell was this shithead talking about?  
  
"Get up," said Sesshou Maru said, softly. "Answer my question."  
  
"What the hell kind of answer do you want?" shouted Inu Yasha.  
  
"What kind of incentive do you need to show me what you've got?" repeated Sesshou Maru, implacably.  
  
"Why is it so important to you all of a sudden?"  
  
But before Inu Yasha could get another word out, a wet Moriyama Jaken stormed in, looking breathless, but triumphant.  
  
"I got her, Sesshou Maru-sama, I got her!" He exclaimed.  
  
??!  
  
Inu Yasha turned to see Kamigata enter, hampered by an exceedingly noisy and violently flailing package that he dumped unceremoniously on the mat before Sesshou Maru.  
  
It was a girl--a girl with her head and upper body covered with a hood.  
  
"Oomph! Ouch! Let me go!"  
  
Inu Yasha's eyes widened at the familiar voice.  
  
No…! Sesshou Maru could not…he could not possibly think to…  
  
Jaken stepped forward and whipped off the cloth from the girl's face.  
  
And there, right before Inu Yasha, was a wet and disheveled Kagome.  
  
Sesshou Maru turned to Inu Yasha. "Will she be incentive enough?"  
  
********************  
  
It was definitely not Kagome's day.  
  
No sooner had Sango and Houjo-kun left that she began to regret her rash decision to make them go away. There was just no way she could finish fixing up the apparatus on her own.  
  
And after a while, just when she was going to give up and leave, there came these two bozos, still in their practice clothes.  
  
In the quiet of the rapidly darkening laboratory, with the rain pouring non- stop outside the windows, the sudden appearance of the ungainly Moriyama Jaken had startled her considerably.  
  
"You, come with us," he had ordered without preamble.  
  
"Who are you?" Kagome had shot back.  
  
"It doesn't matter. You've got no choice. It's either you walk out calmly with us or we take you by force. It's all up to you," the upper classman had said. As if to accentuate his point, a big hulk appeared right behind him.  
  
But of course, however futile she knew it was going to be, Kagome did not give in quietly. In the end, it took some time and quite a lot of scratches before the two could corner Kagome to throw the hood over her face and sling her over Kamigata's shoulder like a sack of potatoes.  
  
And now, as she looked from one face to another Kagome felt she had landed right in the middle of a nightmare. Where was she? The Kendo Club? And Sesshou Maru?? Was he the one who gave the order to bring her here?  
  
Her gaze landed on a stunned Inu Yasha.  
  
"Inu Yasha!" Kagome cried in disbelief.  
  
"Heh! You were right, Sesshou Maru-sama!" gloated Jaken. "She was still there in the laboratory when we found her!"  
  
He…Sesshou Maru had been keeping a close eye on Kagome's movements???  
  
"You--you bastard!" shouted Inu Yasha at Sesshou Maru, not even bothering to look at Kagome. "Leave the girl alone--she's got nothing to do with this!"  
  
"On the contrary," said Sesshou Maru, flexing the knuckles of one hand as he slanted a look at Inu Yasha. "If I am not mistaken, she will be of great assistance to your cause. With your companion at stake, you cannot afford to lose to me, Inu Yasha."  
  
With that, he moved to Kagome, pointing the bokken at her.  
  
"Stand up, girl."  
  
"What are you planning to do? Beat me up?" Kagome spat, meeting the older boy's disturbing gaze without flinching.  
  
Sesshou Maru did not bother to answer her. Instead, he moved to raise the bokken in position above his head, ready to strike down at Kagome.  
  
"NOOOOOO!!!"  
  
With that, Inu Yasha lunged for his discarded shinai and made for Sesshou Maru.  
  
Sesshou Maru turned to meet his attack, wood blocking bamboo in an unfair fight from the very beginning.  
  
Kagome screamed and tried to get out of their way.  
  
"What IS this all about?!" She cried. "You drag me all the way here just so I can witness THIS?!"  
  
"Get down, you BAKA!" Inu Yasha shouted as he let down a series of blows.  
  
"Who's the BAKA!" shouted Kagome as she tried to scramble away.  
  
This…this was soooo undignified!  
  
"Much better," remarked Sesshou Maru, effortlessly blocking Inu Yasha's maneuvers, "and all it took to bring this out of you is the girl."  
  
Kagome began to sputter in indignation as the words sank in.  
  
"Why you…you JERK!" She yelled.  
  
So this was what it was all about! She was being used as a pawn in a dim- witted plot staged by an idiot who never got beyond the age of five, maturity-wise!  
  
It was unforgivable!  
  
"Gambatte, Inu Yasha!" Kagome found herself yelling. "Beat that jerk up to a bloody pulp!"  
  
"Ehh…?" Inu Yasha could not help but say.  
  
"Go, Inu Yasha! You can do it!" Kagome cheered on.  
  
"Looks like your girl has quite a mouth on her," said Sesshou Maru, an annoyed look crossing his features. He swerved away from Inu Yasha at the last minute and headed over to Kagome.  
  
"KAGOME~~~!"  
  
Kagome dodged Sesshou Maru's blow and ran for it along the rack of practice swords on one corner of the room. She could feel the rush of wind behind her, knew that Sesshou Maru was closing the distance fast. Without thinking, she grabbed a shinai at random and turned to face him just as he let down another blow.  
  
WHAAAAAACK!!!  
  
The shinai flew out of Kagome's hands. Quickly, without even thinking of the consequences, Kagome took hold of the end of the pointed bokken in front of her and held on.  
  
Sesshou Maru's eyes widened. "Let go of it!" he snarled, wrenching the bokken savagely from Kagome.  
  
"Let go of it, you fool!" cried Jakken as he tried to cut his way in to help Sesshou Maru. He crashed into Kagome's legs and rolled away.  
  
"No!" Kagome felt her arms being wrenched this way and that as Sesshou Maru struggled to recover the bokken from her grasp, but she stubbornly clung on.  
  
She gasped as she suddenly felt Sesshou Maru pull the sword back sharply, dragging her forward onto him. For one brief, horrifying moment, she came face to face with him, saw the anger in those cold amber eyes, and then she felt him lift a hand and shove her away roughly.  
  
Kagome landed with a thud on the floor.  
  
"You bastard! I'm your opponent here!" yelled Inu Yasha as he caught up and lunged at Sesshou Maru with his shinai.  
  
SHAAAPPP!  
  
With that one single blow, the bokken flew out of Sesshou Maru's grasp.  
  
Keeping his shinai pointed at Sesshou Maru, Inu Yasha said harshly, "Kagome! Are you alright?"  
  
"I--I thought I was a goner!" Kagome said as she rubbed her sore arms.  
  
Sesshou Maru regarded Inu Yasha's stance, unimpressed.  
  
"You move pretty fast where that girl is concerned," Sesshou Maru said, sounding as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.  
  
"Shut up!" yelled Inu Yasha. "It's not over yet!"  
  
"Damn right it's not," said Sesshou Maru grimly and charged at Inu Yasha.  
  
Using the same technique as Kagome, he took hold of the shinai and sent a foot crashing up against Inu Yasha's chest, sending him sprawling.  
  
"Sesshou Maru-sama! I've got the bokken!" cried Jaken, picking up the sword and rushing to his senpai. "I've got the--"  
  
"Oh no, you DON"T!" Kagome thundered as she landed on the small sophomore, squashing him to the mat and grabbing at the bokken.  
  
"Inu Yasha!" Kagome cried, running over to him as he picked himself up from the floor. Even as she knelt beside Inu Yasha, she pointed the bokken at Sesshou Maru.  
  
"Hey you! You didn't have to shove me that hard! You really meant to hurt me, didn't you? I'll make you regret that so prepare yourself!" she cried.  
  
She turned back to Inu Yasha. "Here," she said as she proffered the bokken to him.  
  
"Wha--?" Inu Yasha stared at her, unable to keep his admiration down.  
  
"That's your bokken, and don't you forget it," said Kagome forcefully. "Do your best, okay?"  
  
"What's gotten into you?" said Inu Yasha, wondering how she could still look like she was having the time of her life at a time like this. "There's no way I can win over Sesshou Maru, and you know it!"  
  
And it was only then that he noticed Kagome trembling. The smile faded from her lips as tears slowly gathered in her eyes.  
  
"A-after everything I had to say," she said. "It's still no good?"  
  
Inu Yasha froze.  
  
Well, damn it all to hell!  
  
On top of everything else that's happened, why did she have to cry now???  
  
"Don't cry!" He yelled, unnerved.  
  
"Well, should I be laughing?!" Kagome yelled back.  
  
"Shut it!" spluttered Inu Yasha as he stood up. "I mean--I mean, I'm going to protect you, dammit!"  
  
Kagome stared at him, agog.  
  
Inu Yasha suddenly looked flushed. "I mean…yeah. I will. Seriously," he said, as though he needed convincing himself. "So you just sit back and watch this, okay?"  
  
For the first time since the match started, he felt a ripple of calm wash through him. Everything was coming back into clear focus.  
  
"For what reason do you want to practice Kendo?" His father had asked him that a long time ago, when he was just starting.  
  
"Honestly, why do you want to join Kendo?" Kagome had asked him that only that morning.  
  
And he had always thought that although he had none for the moment, the reason would come sooner or later.  
  
Now the reason was here, sitting on the mat, looking up at him with eyes wide with surprise.  
  
The reasons for practicing Kendo were surely not limited to just one; people practice the sword art for a myriad of reasons, some more noble and important than others. For the immediate present, he would do this to protect Kagome, and that was reason enough.  
  
"Enough of this insipid interlude," cut in Sesshou Maru as he pointed the shinai at Inu Yasha. "Make your move, Inu Yasha. This time, I guarantee it will be your last in this Club."  
  
"Ha!" snorted Inu Yasha. "You are so full of shit!"  
  
He could feel it--the spirit, the spontaneity that had been missing. It was coming back to him in a rush. And Sesshou Maru had been right, in a way. It could not have happened if he had not been given any incentive.  
  
When the mind and body are one with the sword, then you shall not miss…hadn't Otousan always stressed that?  
  
And with that, Inu Yasha took aim and let go.  
  
SHHAP! WHAP! SHAPPP!  
  
And now it was suddenly all Sesshou Maru could do to keep up.  
  
Stroke upon fluid stroke issued from Inu Yasha, and the last one found its mark--at least it would have found its mark on Sesshou Maru's chest had he not dodged it halfway. The blow landed on his left arm, and Sesshou Maru dropped the shinai.  
  
He staggered a few paces back, disbelief in his eyes, his right hand coming up to his injured arm.  
  
A heavy silence ensued.  
  
"Sesshou Maru-sama," Jaken finally squeaked as he made his way to the injured kendoka. Sesshou Maru shoved him roughly aside with his good hand.  
  
Jaken threw Inu Yasha a look of pure venom.  
  
"Congratulations, Nishi!" he spat. "You just guaranteed yourself a one-way ticket out of this club for good!"  
  
"I think not," said an elderly voice mildly.  
  
They all turned around, startled.  
  
There, framed against the doorway, stood the club's coach.  
  
"To--Totosai-sensei!" Jaken said faintly. "Wha--what are you doing here at this late hour, sensei?"  
  
The thin, elderly coach made his way slowly to the center of the mat, tutting blandly, surveying the scene with wide eyes. "Three days," he said, ignoring Jaken and looking straight at Sesshou Maru. "I go away for three days and I come back to find…this."  
  
"It--it was a test," Jaken stammered.  
  
"I was not aware that we subject newcomers to this kind of shiai," Totosai- sensei said, his tone still bland.  
  
"Nishi Inu Yasha is no ordinary applicant!"  
  
"Indeed, he's not," agreed Totosai-sensei. "Most impressive, I would say. And because of that, I shall expect to see him next practice session."  
  
Sesshou Maru glared at the sensei but found he could not say anything to that.  
  
"He--he has injured Sesshou Maru-sama!" Jaken was beside himself. "Sensei, you just cannot--"  
  
"Sesshou Maru has not received anything he has not brought down upon himself," Totosai-sensei observed, indicating that he may not have been present long enough to witness everything, but he had seen enough. "And because he is captain of this club, he will answer personally to me."  
  
He turned to Inu Yasha. "You will continue your practice with us, Nishi Inu Yasha, but no more episodes with the bokken. At least, not yet. And now, you shall leave us."  
  
This Inu Yasha and Kagome gladly did, and they quit the Club in a hurry.  
  
*************************  
  
Back in the laboratory…  
  
"Aww! I said quit it!" Inu Yasha winced as Kagome plastered some band aid into place on his cheek.  
  
"Keep still!" said Kagome as she fished another band aid plaster from her bag.  
  
She had refused to leave the school until she had a good look at his injuries, and the only room available had been the laboratory where she had been forced to leave a while ago in disarray.  
  
Inu Yasha was thinking of hurling another comment when he noticed her hand was shaking.  
  
"Hey, come on. It's all over now," he said, exasperated. Kagome did not look up.  
  
"Oy," Inu Yasha said, peering down at her. "What's the matter with you?"  
  
"You…are so STUPID!" yelled Kagome, and Inu Yasha was astonished to find tears welling in her eyes again. "You could've gotten hurt--things could have gotten out of hand! Why did you have to bite into his bait?!"  
  
"FEH!" Inu Yasha shot back. "If I didn't, where would you have been?! He was ready to hurt you, you idiot! And don't you dare cry!"  
  
Kagome bit back a sob.  
  
"I hate it when girls cry," he mumbled, looking away. "Besides, you handled yourself very well back there. And things had turned out unexpectedly well, so why should you break down like this now?"  
  
"Because!" Kagome said, beginning to cry from exasperation more than anything else. "Because I thought you were not going to make it!"  
  
Inu Yasha turned to stare at her, startled.  
  
"I got so scared," whispered Kagome, "because I thought Sesshou Maru was going to hurt you badly."  
  
Inu Yasha continued to stare at her. He had been scared, of course he was, because he had thought this girl was going to get hurt on his account. And yet, she had not thought of it that way at all. Instead…  
  
"You're crying," he said, a note of wonder in his voice," because you were worried about me?"  
  
"Baka! You make it sound like it's a bad thing," said Kagome. "And, if you dare to pull a stunt like that again, I swear I will kill you myself!"  
  
Inu Yasha backed off, his eyes wide.  
  
Well, so much for her concern.  
  
He turned away gruffly. "You are so stupid," he said again, for want of anything else to say. "C'mon, let's get out of here."  
  
Out in the rain, walking under the roof of a single umbrella and with the darkness enveloping them, Inu Yasha came to think of the puzzle that was the girl beside him.  
  
Man, she was so stupid…!  
  
And yet, he had never seen anyone as strange and wondrous as she. Never had he met anyone as stubborn, as annoying, as brave…and as kind as she was. What was it with this girl, that she was so full of surprises?  
  
"Kagome…"  
  
Kagome turned to look at him, surprised.  
  
Inu Yasha blinked. "What?" he demanded.  
  
"My name," she said.  
  
"What about it?"  
  
"You--you just said it…for the first time," said Kagome.  
  
"So?"  
  
Kagome looked away, a deflated look on her face. "Never mind. What was it you wanted to say?"  
  
"…Arigatou," said Inu Yasha, softly.  
  
Kagome looked back at him sharply, and there, only inches away from her, Inu Yasha stood looking down into her face.  
  
He was not wearing a mask now, thought Kagome, her heart racing as she looked into his eyes. What went through his face then was a multitude of emotions Kagome could not completely decipher, but she knew she was looking into the real Inu Yasha at last.  
  
From now on, he will never be able to distance himself from her by masks. Not anymore. This was something he could not take back.  
  
And they stood looking at each other for a long time, with nothing more than the rain and darkness enveloping them…and the sweet certainty that something irreversible had happened at last.  
  
*********************  
  
Vocabulary:  
  
baka- stupid  
  
bokken-wooden sword (used in more advanced classes in Kendo)  
  
chuddan-the basic position of Kendo-- The shinai is held two-handed in  
  
the middle of the body with the arms in a relaxed position; the left  
  
hand is behind the right. The tip points to the opponent's throat. The  
  
back is straight, the hips are cocked and the kendoka faces his opponent  
  
squarely.  
  
kendoka-students/players of Kendo  
  
kendogi-a heavy cotton tunic that serves as the upper garment that kendoka wear (hakama would be the divided, pleated skirt that serves as the lower garment)  
  
men-helmet (more terms are used to describe the various parts of the Kendo armor--for more info, pls. check with the website below)  
  
otousan- father  
  
senpai- upper classman  
  
shinai- the basic sword of Beginner's Kendo, made of bamboo  
  
shiai- sort of a combat practice with an opponent  
  
shomen- Kendo has only one basic technique - shomen, the cut to the head. The shinai is raised over the head with both hands and then brought forward as the body moves forward. Very little muscle is used. Speed and powerare attained with relaxed shoulders and a whipping motion of the tip.  
  
This large technique is the "real sword" way, and is the first technique  
  
taught. All other strokes are variations on shomen.  
  
subari-basic practice strokes done with the shinai as part of warm-up or (to insult Kamigata) Beginner's practice  
  
*************************  
  
Sources lifted from (1) interesting discourses entitled "A Kendo Primer" by Neil Gendzwil and "A Kendo Tutorial" by Sarah Winters--lifted from an internet search.  
  
(2) a more extensive Kendo glossary at http://www.rain.org/~galvan/kndohome.html 


	14. Hearts

Dokyusei

by

Nana

Chapter 14

Hearts

*******************************

Author's Notes: Waiiii!!!  It's been a long time, but welcome to another chapter of Dokyusei. A note of warning, though, before we start: this chapter has a very fast pace, contains lots of angst, lots of twists and turns which may not be to everyone's liking, and yes, it will contain… KIKYOU!!!!  Hehehe…but honestly, though, this is one character whom I respect a lot. Give her a chance. I've had difficulty trying to make out the complexities of her character, thus the delay in the posting of this fic.  I have decided to add her character in little by little, so this chapter will only give us a peek into Kitahara Kikyou just like in the manga. Certain scenes are taken from book 6 and 8 of the manga. 

I am looking forward to your reviews and criticism, but please be constructive.  I will appreciate it if you point out the stuff you don't like (but please don't tell me to remove Kikyou in the story, okay?)^^ I hope you will enjoy this fic!

Dedication: for Ainokaachan, who referred me to Kylara's excellent essay "A Touch More of Insight", delving into the many merits of Kikyou. She has not yet come out fully in this chapter, but she will.

Disclaimer: No matter how many times I wish it, Inu Yasha just does not belong to me! Sigh….

********************************

_"The heart of any other, because it has a will, would remain forever mysterious."_

_--David Gutterson_

*******************************

            Sango stared at Kagome as she finished narrating what happened last night.

            They were standing in the botanical garden of the school during recess the next day, the sky still a heavy slate gray and promising more rain soon.

            "You mean, here? In this exact spot?" Sango still appeared as though she could not believe the sudden turn of events.

            Neither could Kagome, if truth be known. She merely nodded.

            "And then what?" Sango pressed on.

            "Well, we…we just stared at each other." Kagome knew that came out as a really weird thing to say, but that was how it happened.

            Sango's eyes widened.  "So basically, you're now friends," she said slowly.

            Kagome could not find anything to say to that.

            How could a few hours tilt her tidy world into such chaos? How could a single boy do it? But then, this was Inu Yasha.  And he had been doing this since the first day she had stepped into this school.

            "Well, I suppose he was really sweet. It's not really his fault that psycho Sesshou Maru would think to use you to egg him on, but whatever will happen to our revenge thing?" Sango asked, sounding a bit disappointed. "I mean it hasn't even kicked off yet!"

            More importantly, what was going to happen to Houjo-kun?

            Kagome sighed.

            "He's different to you now, isn't he?" Sango asked gently.

            "I don't know…it just isn't very clear anymore," Kagome said.

            "Well, I've always thought that in his own weird, nasty way, he's kind of sweet on you," admitted Sango. "But Inu Yasha is…well, he's just too unpredictable. You'll watch out, won't you?"

            "Sango-chan!" said Kagome, beginning to smile at her friend's cryptic remark.  "You sound like we're more than friends or something! Yeah, sure.  Of course I'll watch out."

            A gentle drizzle was starting and they headed back to the school building.

            "Well, what about you?" She asked Sango. "What's been happening with Fukuzawa-senpai?"

            "Hmph.  I wouldn't know and I wouldn't care. The less I get to see him, the better," Sango said curtly. "Right now, I'm kind of enjoying the fact we won't be having track practice when it gets to rain hard--that way, any chances of bumping into him will be greatly minimized."

            Sango was careful to keep her voice neutrally derisive.  

She could not understand this weird, infuriating feeling inside her. A few days had already elapsed after the slapping incident and yet how could she still feel this thread of delicious panic course through her at the mere mention of Fukuzawa Miroku's name?

The thought made her uncomfortable and she resorted to a safer topic.

            "Well, enough about him," she said bracingly. "Do you know what Takagi-senpai did at the track last Friday…?"

            Kagome said nothing as she listened to Sango talk about Takagi. 

Of course, no matter how many times she was going to call it to Sango's attention, she guessed Sango would not take kindly to her opinion that Fukuzawa-senpai could easily outdo Takagi-senpai in anything--especially charm.

*********************

            Inu Yasha was unusually late for classes that day.

            The bell had signaled so many times to herald the end of each period. Kagome was starting to think he was not going to show up at all when, a few minutes after ten am, in the middle of Mrs. Kaede's class (as usual), the door slid back unceremoniously and the familiar short, tense silence from her classmates meant somebody was making his grand entrance yet again.

            Kagome did not look up from her textbook, but her heart went still for a second before it began to beat double time.

            "A bit too early for your next class, aren't you, Inu Yasha?" asked Mrs. Kaede in a resigned voice.

            Kagome continued to look at her textbook, dread suddenly washing over her.

            He was going to be different.

            All of a sudden she was sure of it.

            The thing that happened last night was too frail and fantastic to withstand the harsh light of everyday reality.

            Now, in the gray light of this small, drab classroom, Kagome suddenly had a sinking feeling that Inu Yasha was not going to be the same…he was going to be the jerk that he usually was, and he's going to open that big trap of his to ruin everything by saying--

            "Oy."

            She jumped, and found Inu Yasha already seated on the chair beside her.

            "What're you doing, gripping your book like that?" he asked.

            And indeed, Kagome was gripping her thin textbook so hard the edges were starting to crumple from the pressure.  She hurriedly let go.

            He stared at her for a moment before looking away gruffly.

            "And what're you looking at?" he threw instead at Sango, who had been staring.

            Kagome looked up just in time to see Sango burying her nose back in her book.

            There was wariness and uncertainty in the amber depths of his eyes, but his gaze held a hint of tenderness, and remained open and unshuttered. Incredibly enough, it was the same look he had given her last night.

            Kagome smiled softly.

****************************

            "How's the, uhh…bruise?" Kagome asked hesitantly as they made their way to the lab for their science experiment.

            Inu Yasha touched the band aid covering his cheek. "Fine," he said. "It doesn't hurt that much anymore."

            A short, uncomfortable--almost shy--silence followed.

            "A--no…" They said almost simultaneously.

            "So…so now you're going to have to practice Kendo three times a week," observed Kagome when he waved for her to speak first.

            "Plus Saturdays," he added.

            "Oh."

            "So…" he trailed off, looking distinctly uncomfortable.

            Man, he was really no good at this!

            "Hai?"

            _I want you by my side…_

            Kagome blinked. "Nani?"

            "Nothing," he said, looking away and shaking his head roughly. Jeez! Were his thoughts starting to show?

            "You said something--" Kagome began

"Just…just be careful, alright?" Inu Yasha said gruffly. "I mean, now that things have happened the way they did…and you know what Sesshou Maru is like--" 

Inu Yasha could not seem to be able to find his words, but Kagome understood all the same.

            "I will."

            They entered the Science Lab, and Kagome felt a surge of disbelief at the sight of mundane tiles and chrome. Any trace of the violent struggle that occurred in the room yesterday was gone. It was incredible for it to have happened at all, and in such ordinary surroundings, Kagome thought. It seemed like a lifetime ago…

Kagome felt as though a bubble--delicate, transparent, but a barrier, nevertheless--had gradually wrapped around her and Inu Yasha, leaving the world outside to carry on around them as always, but muted in its intensity…as though it were unreal.

In a way, it frightened her. She could not help but feel the transient nature of the situation acutely, because it seemed impossible that everything could feel so…right. How long was it going to take before the bubble burst?

********************************

            The bubble lasted exactly two days.

            What was it about the school corridors of Sengoku High School? They were not just regular corridors.  There was no telling who one could run into at a turn of these passageways; there was no telling where they could lead to, and there was no stopping the memories that could awaken at the sight of a single face.

            And rounding the corner of the Science Lab that day with Kagome, Inu Yasha thought he had come face to face with a ghost.

Only, she was definitely real.

She was standing in front of the giant bulletin board near the stairs, looking the same way as Inu Yasha remembered seeing her last. But he knew nothing was ever going to be the same between them.  Not since that day over a month ago when they had fought.

Kagome looked up enquiringly as Inu Yasha faltered in the middle of what he was saying, the words seeming to trickle away before his voice died altogether. Her heart suddenly went still as she realized who the girl in front of them was.

 ******************************

            Kitahara Kikyou studied the contents of the board for a minute before turning away from it. And when her eyes landed on Inu Yasha, she seemed just as surprised to see him standing a few paces away.

            "Kikyou…" The name escaped Inu Yasha's lips before he could stop himself.

            "Inu…Yasha?" Kikyou said almost wonderingly.

            Kagome could feel the hairs of her nape stand on end. All of a sudden, Kagome felt oddly out of place in this unexpectedly intimate ground between Inu Yasha and the girl before them, as though she were eavesdropping on something very private. 

            Kagome had seen Kitahara kikyou before.  Of course she had.  She had bumped into her in the women's room last week, and she had been struck by the similarity of their physical features. But there the similarities ended.

            To look at her, one could see that Kitahara Kikyou was instantly different from the regular freshman girls, including Kagome.  She was of a class all to her own.  She didn't have to lift so much as a finger or open her mouth to prove it. Her indefinable air of calm authority and serene beauty--almost cold in its intensity-- was clearly evident in her stance alone.

            And taking in this peerless, grave creature, Kagome suddenly realized with a little bit of bitterness that not all girls were created equal. Certainly not in the eyes of Inu Yasha.

            He stood there rooted, as though he could not find his voice, and the fragile moment shattered as Kitahara collected herself. Much to Kagome's surprise, a shuttered look of intense dislike crept into her cool gray eyes, and Kagome could see her about to pull away when somebody interrupted the scene.

            "Kikyou."

            The masculine voice sounded as a figure with long dark hair came up the stairs. "Sorry to have kept you waiting," the person said, advancing toward Kitahara.

            Kagome's jaw dropped as she realized who it was.

            It was no other than Mizuno Naraku himself.

            Inu Yasha himself was finding this all difficult to take in at once. Kagome could feel him tense beside her, but he made no move.

            What did the president of the Central Student Council want with Kitahara Kikyou? wondered Kagome, curiosity getting the better of her.

            Kikyou turned to the newcomer, and without another word, accompanied him back down the stairs. She must have said something to him, for Mizuno slanted Inu Yasha and Kagome a look over his shoulder before laying an arm protectively over Kikyou.

            Whaaa---?!

            Kagome and Inu Yasha stared after them, at the arm draped so casually and meaningfully over Kikyou's shoulder.

            And then they were going down, going down, were gone from their view.

*******************************

            "M-mizuno and Kitahara?!" Sango exclaimed. "Are you sure?!"

            They were having lunch in the classroom today, and Sango hurriedly lowered her voice as a couple of their classmates turned to their direction.

            "He laid an arm across her shoulder, Sango-chan.  You just can't mistake that gesture for anything," said Kagome.

            "Mizuno and Kitahara," Sango said again as she shook her head. "It's just so way off."

            "Yeah, I know," said Kagome quietly.

            "And what did Inu Yasha say?"

            "That's the problem. He didn't say anything," said Kagome sadly. "I think he was really shocked."

            "You know, come to think of it, nobody really knew how his relationship with Kitahara ended. Do you suppose--"

            But Sango stopped midway at the sight of Kagome's face and decided to let the matter drop.

            "Where is he, by the way?" she asked instead.

            But Inu Yasha was nowhere to be found. After that incident, he was so unusually quiet and he wouldn't even look at Kagome in the face. And now, he had gone off on his own for lunch.

            Kagome sighed.  Maybe it was for the best.

            Although, where could Inu Yasha have gone? She wondered uneasily.

            It was already after lunch when Kagome caught a glimpse of Inu Yasha.  They had been to the women's room, and because she had finished ahead of Sango, she had opted to wait for her in the hallway.

            Outside the window, the rain had stopped for a while.  The view outside was that of the botanical garden, and Kagome was idly watching the trees sway to the small gusts of wind when she noticed a figure with long, white hair walking underneath them.

            …!

            Inu Yasha???

            The rain had formed a speckled pattern on the window glass, and for one brief moment, Kagome hesitated, not sure if the person she had seen were indeed Inu Yasha, or the only other person in the school with long white hair whom she would rather not see for a while. But the figure's swift, determined stride seemed to confirm who he was.

            So that's where he's been to, that silly dolt! She thought.  Had he been out in the rain all this time? 

            She went out of the building, following the figure's direction to the botanical garden. 

            Kagome had not thought Inu Yasha might have companions.  She had assumed he had gone off on his own to nurse whatever hurt the corridor scene with Kikyou had inflicted.

            It was only when she got there that she realized too late that Inu Yasha was not alone. Based on the raised voices she was hearing, it seemed she had arrived in the middle of a terrible quarrel.

            Kagome froze as she heard a shrill female voice--so uncharacteristic of its owner--say: "--what it's like for me to trust somebody, so how could you possibly think to betray me like that?"

            And Inu Yasha's incredulous voice cut in harshly, "What?!  You're saying I betrayed YOU?!"

            "Don't you _dare_ deny it!"

            Suddenly, they moved into view; Inu Yasha, with his back toward Kagome, and Kikyou on the far side, her face pale with rage, her dark hair whipping in the wind.

            "All this time you wouldn't want to see me, you've been thinking I betrayed you?!" Inu Yasha said, and Kagome saw him advance toward Kikyou.  "I don't know who's been feeding you such rubbish, but all this time, there hasn't been a single day when I've forgotten about you!"

            Kagome watched, frozen, as he grabbed Kikyou, holding her tight even as she struggled in his arms.

            And then there was a sharp, cracking sound, and suddenly, they were apart.

            Inu Yasha was breathing heavily as he raised a hand to his cheek.

            "Don't you touch me," spat Kikyou.

            A sudden movement caught her eye, and she stopped dead when she saw Kagome. Noting Kikyou's hesitation, Inu Yasha turned to the direction of her gaze.

            "Kagome…"

            Kagome would have given anything to run away, to be anywhere else except here.  She would have given anything not to see Inu Yasha take Kikyou in his arms. But she couldn't will herself to turn away.

            But even as they stood frozen like the figures of a tableau, with the gentle drizzle starting to fall, Kikyou turned quickly on her heels and ran back toward the building.

            "Kagome…" Inu Yasha said, starting toward her.

            But Kagome had come to her senses at last.  Her nerve broke, and she turned to the direction she had come from and fled.

*******************************

            "Houjo-kun, perhaps this isn't really a good time to...you know," Sango said a bit apologetically             as she realized why Houjo-kun was looking for Kagome.

            Houjo-kun fixed Sango with an innocently bewildered stare.

            "Mikagi-kun, I was just asking if you've seen Higurashi," he said with a hint of a laugh in his voice.

            "Well, she went with me to the women's room a while ago, but I don't know--"

            Before she could say anything more, though, Kagome came into the room, droplets of rain shining on her dark hair. Sango stared at her dazed expression, alarmed.

            "Ah, Higurashi!" remarked Houjo-kun pleasantly as he moved toward Kagome.  Sango could not tell if he noticed there was anything wrong.  From the way he was acting, it seemed he was oblivious.

            "Err, Houjo-kun…" Sango said with a note of warning.

            Appearing as if he had not heard her, Houjo-kun went right ahead with what he had to say.  And if he had been evasive with Sango, he was not being so with Kagome now.

            "You look kind of worn out, Higurashi," he observed.

            "Am I?" Kagome said dully.      

            "And I'm not surprised, really, given all these upcoming exams and drills," he said with easy charm.  "Well, after Friday's big English exam, I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me.  You know, just to unwind a bit."

            Kagome was about to open her mouth, and Sango had a good idea what she was about to say, when the door slid open and Inu Yasha came in, his white hair matted from the rain.

            He stopped abruptly at the sight of Houjo-kun and Kagome, his eyes going wide.

            Kagome deliberately turned back to a waiting Houjo-kun and said definitely, "Hai.  I'd love to go out with you."

            "Really?" For a moment, Houjo could not believe he heard right. "Well, that's great.  Well, okay, great!  Umm, let's meet at the café, then."

            With that, he moved off, and Kagome took her seat, refusing to look at Inu Yasha again.

            And for once, Inu Yasha did not press in.  After all, Kagome had seen what she had seen.  There was nothing else to be said about it.

***************************

The rain continued to fall, lending the gray atmosphere of the classroom a chilly, unhappy look. But even as the skies wept, Kagome was surprised to find that she could not. She still had full use of language, and as the dull shock began to clear, she found herself telling Sango all about it.

"Well, at least now, I know exactly where we stand," said Kagome as Sango silently took in her words. "You were right about him, Sango.  Was that what you had in mind when you told me to be careful?"

Sango shook her head. "I just thought he was unpredictable; I never thought he'd still be in with Kitahara."

A short silence ensued.

"That bastard," said Sango at last. She turned to Kagome. "How can you take it so calmly?  I mean, what does this mean?  I can't believe that incident Monday night was just nothing."

"No, it may not be nothing," said Kagome reflectively. "It's just…maybe it's really something…only it's not enough, if you're going to compare it with other things--and people, you know?"

"That is just crap," said Sango flatly. "But I envy you. At least you're strong enough and you know better than to get affected by all this. That's a good way to deal with it."

"Yeah, I am, aren't I?" said Kagome sadly. 

Sango was not sure if Kagome's frightening sense of calm was just from shock, or the real thing.

But what can we do? She thought. It was fairly obvious Inu Yasha had not forgotten Kikyou.  You could never tell what went on inside the heart of another. And while it is true it was not anybody's fault, the fact remained that Kagome had gotten hurt by a ghost that still lingered in Inu Yasha's heart.

***************************

Friday came by with unusual good weather, and so did the exam.  Kagome could not do anything but pour herself into it. It gave her another thing to think about, and Kagome was glad of a diversion. How many people in this world, she wondered, would take academics as a way out of their personal woes?

After the exam, though, she began to feel the weight of the incident dragging her spirits down.

No matter how much she tried to inject logic into the whole thing--that she had no right to feel this way because Inu Yasha had never really treated her as anything other than a friend--the fact remained that she had never felt more miserable in her life.

In a way, she felt sorry for Inu Yasha.  She had wanted to go over and say--what was she going to say?  She wasn't very sure. In other ways, all she ever wanted was to put her foot through his face.

What was the matter with her? 

But there was no way other people should notice her current state of confusion.  So she confided only in Sango.

"I really envy you," said Kagome that afternoon during recess.

            Sango nearly laughed. "Why?" she asked ruefully.

            "Because you really don't seem to care if you're ever going to see him or not anymore," said Kagome.

            "Who?" Sango said even as her voice grew clipped.

            "Oh, you know who."

            Sango did not bother to pretend she didn't know who Kagome was talking about.

            "Well, that's right. Yeah. I really don't," said Sango with growing conviction in her voice. "But then, our situation is totally different, Kagome.  At least you like Inu Yasha. I, on the other hand--"

            She shrugged her shoulders eloquently.

            "Well…" said Kagome unhappily, not knowing what to say to that. She changed the subject. "But don't you feel curious about Fukuzawa-senpai, at least? I mean, a whole week's gone by and there's been no sign of him. Don't you ever find yourself thinking what he could be doing these past few days?"

            "No," said Sango quickly, attempting to sound casual but still unable to take out the tone of resentment from her voice. "I can't possibly care what he's been up to."

            "Oh. Good for you."

            "Cheer up, Kagome-chan," said Sango, turning to look at her. "You can always give Inu Yasha hell with Kitahara.  You're going out with Houjo-kun, and that's a start. Don't let him get to you."

            Kagome sighed. "I suppose you're right. So now where are we going?"

            "Do you mind if we drop by Takagi-senpai's classroom? I need to ask him if we're going to have practice tomorrow, rain or shine," said Sango. "We haven't had a decent practice session the whole week."

            "What if it rains tomorrow?"

            "Then I'll have to make arrangements with the basketball team to lend us their court. At least it has a roof."

            "Okay."

            Sango was careful only to look directly ahead of her as they made their way to the sophomores' floor.

            Takagi didn't mind at all if she were to make arrangements for them to practice with the basketball team.

            "We've lost so many days already.  We better pray this good weather's going to last the whole day, and then we'll make up for some lost hours tomorrow."

            "Hai."

            "Thanks for arranging it for me, Mikagi."

            He turned as if to go back to the classroom, but Takagi paused and looked down at Sango as she appeared not to hear him. For once, she was looking past him, scanning the room behind Takagi with a quick and nervous glance.

            "Uhh…Sango?" he said uncertainly. "Is everything okay?"

            "Nani? Oh, gomen!" Sango tore her eyes away from the classroom, her face going red. "Umm, yeah.  I'm okay.  So I'll arrange it with the basketball team then.  Ja ne."

            Sango turned away and went hurriedly to join Kagome, leaving Takagi by the doorway of his classroom to wonder.

            She could see Kagome smiling slightly at the sight of her red face, but for once, Kagome had misinterpreted the blush.

            What exactly are you doing, staring into Takagi's classroom anyway? Sango thought furiously.

            She was being a perfect idiot was what she was doing.

            Anyway, it was a relief HE was not there, but she was taking no chances until they got to their floor safely.

            But there was nothing safe about their floor just then. The bad thing about being a freshman was this: you've got no space to call your own.  Sophomores and seniors could easily get down to your floor as freely as they wanted and the privilege was not vice versa.

And there he was, feeling right at home on the freshmen's floor. 

Sango checked abruptly at the sight of him. Luckily, he had his back to them, but there was no mistaking the tiny ponytail tied behind his dark head.

Fukuzawa Miroku stood at the far end of the corridor near the stairs.  And as usual, he was not alone. A flock of freshman girls was there, and he was holding the hands of one of them.

            What could he have been doing these last few days?

            Why, picking up girls to ask out, of course!

            Sango watched as if mesmerized, unable to tear her eyes off Fukuzawa as he continued to hold Kobayashi Koharu's hands in his. Even at this distance, she had a good inkling what he was saying to the girl to make her blush so. 

            And what was the meaning of all this?

            It was obvious what it all meant.

            The whole episode in the garden had meant nothing to a sukebe like him.

At the sight of Koharu's beaming face, Sango turned abruptly and stalked away. The rosy color was fading quickly from her cheeks.

            Kagome hurried after her, noting her friend's sudden change with some alarm.

            "Sango-chan…"

            Sango held up a hand. "I'm okay," she reassured Kagome.

            Huh?

            Sango took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. "I guess I needed to see that, didn't I?" she said softly, allowing a small, bitter smile to cross her lips.

            "Nani?" Kagome asked.

            "I mean, I was so stupid…! To think that I felt guilty…!" Sango ground out.

With great effort, she collected herself. "Well, that certainly cleared up a lot of things," she said in an oddly formal voice. " There. I feel so much better already."

            She went ahead inside their classroom, leaving a confused Kagome to linger outside.

            What could Sango possibly mean by all that? Didn't she say she was just going up to talk to Takagi-senpai, as usual? Wasn't that the only reason why she ever went up?

            Unless…unless that was not the only reason…

Not anymore.

            Could it be…could it be that Sango had gone up with the hope of bumping into somebody else?

*************************


	15. Deuce

Dokyusei

by

Nana

Chapter 15

Deuce

*****************************

Author's Notes: I realize it has been a while since Miroku and Sango have had a decent scene; this chapter will remedy that, hopefully. So!  On with the story…

Incidentally, Urasue-sensei, the Math teacher mentioned here, is the name of the witch who gave Kikyou her second stab at life (manga #5).  R&R most welcome!^^

Disclaimer: Much as I wish Miroku and Sango were mine, they're not! 

*****************************

            For the second straight day that week, they had perfect powder-blue-sky weather.

            On Saturdays, a trickle of students came drifting in and out of Sengoku High for their extracurricular activities.

            At the track oval, the athletes warmed up before beginning their practice in earnest.

            Sango did a few stretching exercises before taking a few laps around the oval, alternating jogging with bouts of sprinting, glad to be out in the sun.

            She had missed this. There was nothing better than a good run to clear one's head. Running gave a semblance of being able to distance oneself from one's thoughts.  

            Takagi stared at her after a few hundred meters of sprinting. "I really envy your enthusiasm," he said, panting. "But considering how many days have passed without having a decent run, I suggest you don't overdo it, or else you'll strain yourself."

            Sango merely smiled humorlessly.

            Well, she was feeling so much better now. Really.

            So what if Fukuzawa Miroku had effortlessly moved on? Of course, what she had found him doing in the corridor yesterday was totally in keeping with his character, anyway. What else would she expect from him, right?

            What he did to her in the garden a week ago must surely have been a matter of routine for him. It was plainly nothing to get excited about. From the look of things, it seemed he had forgotten all about it already.

            Or it may just be possible that after the slapping incident, he had come to his senses enough to leave her alone for good.

            Whichever way, he seemed to have lost interest in her at last. What Sango could not understand was the ambiguity of her feelings about this.

            Hadn't she wanted him to leave her alone? He had done so the whole week. She should by all rights be rejoicing.

            Well, I am! She told herself crossly. At least now I don't have to be on guard all the time anymore! And I don't have to keep looking over my shoulder to find him breathing down my neck!

            _But supposing he's avoiding you…_

            The thought arose before she could squelch it. 

            ….Well, so what? He had no right to be angry because he deserved to be slapped, anyway.

            _Or is he waiting to see what you will do if he avoids you long enough?_

            The thought was even more unpleasant than the last. And it was highly possible he was capable of such treachery. 

It sent a chill through Sango.

            Maybe you're just over reacting, she told herself uneasily. There's really no reason to be so paranoid; after all, everything is just speculation.

            But why are you torturing yourself by speculating on the full spectrum of possibilities behind the motives of that sukebe, anyway? A more rational part of her brain argued impatiently.

She had so many questions, but no answers.

Well, maybe she needed to run some more.

            Yeah, she guessed that would help…

***************************

In the end, Sango remained in the track longer than she had planned, staying on after the others had gone. She had been so preoccupied that she had not noticed the subtle change taking place across the sky. When she finally looked up to see the banks of gray clouds racing furiously to engulf the waning sun, she knew she was too late. This was going to turn out as one of those sudden, violent storms that had besieged the city the past couple of days.

            Oh, no…and I didn't even bring an umbrella…! Sango thought as she cut across the field to the dressing room.

            But even as she hurried to change into her jeans, the ominous patter of raindrops had sounded, turning quickly into a continuous gush of rain.

******************************

Sango had been waiting thirty minutes at the doorway of the changing room, but the rain was showing no signs of relenting. It continued to fall hard as a single, heavy curtain, turning the track oval into a field of mud.

            She had thought of running for it, but she knew she wouldn't be able to make it without drowning first. Not when it would require a full fifteen-minute sprint from here to the back gates of the school (and that was in perfect-weather condition), with no shady stopover to shelter her from the rain.

            And by the time she got to the subway station, she would be soaked to the bone. Otousan would give her hell if he found out she wasn't taking care of herself.

            Well, why didn't you bring an umbrella? She berated herself, but it was too late for that now.

            Her only hope lay in the fact that a miracle would happen and somebody coming out of the school building would be passing here just now on his or her way out by the back gates. But what was the chance of that happening, given it was already Saturday afternoon? The whole school would be deserted by now!

            But wait a minute…

            …What was that?

            Sango strained her eyes through the thick curtain of rain, catching movement apart from the steady fall of water.

            An obscure figure under an umbrella was slowly emerging from the silhouette of rain. It was coming nearer. Sango waved at the person frantically.

            Whoever it was finally saw her, was coming over after a brief pause.

            "Thank goodness you came along," she said, beginning to smile. "I thought I was going to have to wait for--"

            And the words died away in her throat when she realized who it was.

            "Well, well. Fancy meeting you here…Sango." Fukuzawa Miroku's tone was one of pleasant surprise, as if he had bumped into an old friend he had not met for a long time.

            "You!"

            "Yes, me. Unfortunately," he said dryly as he correctly interpreted her tone.

            Sango struggled not to back away. There would only be the dressing room door behind her, and that was not going to help her at all.

            "Well?" she said after a moment. "What are you waiting for? Go on."

            "Funny," he said, beginning to smile. "I thought you were in need of some assistance."

            "Whatever made you think that?" Sango shot back.

            "'Thank goodness you came along'," he recited a bit mockingly, quoting her word for word. " 'I thought I was going to have to wait for--' what was that word supposed to be, Sango? Forever?"

            His smile widened as he saw the slow blush creeping up from her neck to the roots of her hair.

            "So," he said invitingly, holding up his umbrella. "What do you say?"

            "I--I am not going anywhere with you!"

            "Come now, Sango," he said, sounding disappointed. "And here I was thinking you were a sensible girl. You'll just have to take my word for it when I say I will be the last one to pass by here for quite a while…unless you're counting on the janitor. But then, his shift doesn't end until ten in the evening. So…what do you say?"

            Sango forced herself to look into his eyes. She could see the amusement dancing in the violet depths, and she could tell he was right. As much as she hated to admit it, she had no choice but to accompany him out.

            Grudgingly and without another word, she swung her bag over her shoulder and got under the umbrella, refusing to look at him again.

            There was a brief moment of silence as they started walking.

            "You can drop me off at the subway station." Sango broke the promise she made to herself that she was not going to speak to this guy when the silence became uncomfortable. "I can handle it from there."

            Fukuzawa responded with a slight tilt of his lips. "We'll see," he said.

            "What do you mean, _we'll see_?!" Sango exploded.

            Fukuzawa turned to her. "Okay then_. You'll_ see," he said blandly.

            Unforgivable! Thought Sango as she looked away, struggling to keep her breathing even. He's simply unforgivable! Apart from being a shameless lech, he was definitely an opportunist. How dare he seize a situation like this and take full advantage of her?!

            They had reached the school gates, and Fukuzawa continued walking the path he chose, leaving Sango with no choice but to tag along with him under his umbrella.

            "HEY! The subway is over _there_!" Sango pointed to the opposite direction.

            "The café is much closer," he said, jerking his head to the direction of the restaurant. "How long have you been practicing?"

            The question was rather unexpected, and Sango was too startled to resort to subterfuge.

            "Since this morning."

            "I take it you haven't had lunch yet," he concluded correctly. "Might as well eat something before you go home. The rain might stop by then."

            "But I don't feel like it!"

            To be more accurate, she did not feel like being seen anywhere with Fukuzawa, and the sooner she could fob him off the better.

            Sango involuntarily drew her head back when he suddenly lowered his face and looked into her eyes. 

"And I would rather that we go inside the café to warm ourselves rather than walk two more blocks in this weather, so that pretty much settles the matter, doesn't it?" He said softly. He never stopped smiling.

Sango stared at him, her eyes wide. What was THAT all about??? His tone remained pleasant, but the intent was unmistakable.

But before she could blink, he straightened up and gave her an encouraging slap on the back. "And who knows? You might find that hanging out with me isn't really all that bad!"

"I doubt it," Sango said with gritted teeth. "A_nd_, we are NOT hanging out!"

***********************

Entering from the cold rain, the café was bright, warm…and mercifully empty.

Fukuzawa chose a corner table and they sank down onto cushioned seats.

"Order anything you like," he told Sango easily as the waitress handed them menus.

"I will," said Sango, deliberately opening her menu with a loud _flap_! "As I intend to pay MY own bill!"

Fukuzawa chuckled appreciatively at her astuteness. She ignored him.

Because she was particularly hungry, Sango ordered a large double cheeseburger (the café's specialty), tons of fries and a large chocolate milk shake.

"I'll have coffee," Fukuzawa told the waitress, who was staring at him as if she could not believe her eyes. Miroku was thankful she was too polite to say anything.

"I already ate," he explained to Sango.

And indeed, he had. In this same restaurant, in fact, only much earlier in the day. And with somebody else.

"Oh." 

Sango looked away, suddenly finding the picture on the wall beside her very interesting.

This…is so unbelievable! She thought, trying to will her heart to slow down. Who would have thought that she would end up eating lunch with Fukuzawa Miroku, of all people?

But of course, she wasn't here of her own free will, so she guessed this did not count.

After a moment, she attempted a casual glance at his direction, wondering at his silence, and found him staring out the window. Outside, the rain continued to fall.

He did not seem to notice that she was looking at him, and Sango suddenly felt shy as she watched him from the corner of her eyes.

From the way he was behaving, he did not seem to be angry with her. And if he had really been avoiding her these past few days, he wouldn't have bothered forcing his company on her like this now, right?

But why should you feel guilty at all, Sango? She suddenly asked herself, horrified. It's not like you did anything wrong! On the contrary, you're supposed to be angry with him, remember?

Still…

Her wary gaze wandered along the lines of his black shirt and along the curve of his throat, ready to look away the moment he turned his head back to her.

All traces of shyness, however, evaporated the next moment when Sango's gaze moved up and landed on his left cheek. She could feel her brows coming together.

What she was seeing defied explanation. Certainly, it had faded to a very, very faint yellow, but it was still there. 

One week after the incident, there's NO WAY it could still be there! Sango thought furiously. Unless he's been doing something to it! She wouldn't be surprised if he had repeatedly been pinching it just so he could make it stay longer!

Fukuzawa finally turned his head to find Sango glaring at him.

"What?" he asked, his eyes wide.

"What," bit out Sango, pointing at his left cheek," is _that_ still doing THERE?"

Fukuzawa touched the small bruise on his cheek. "Oh. This," he said. "You tell me."

Sango could see that the glint of amusement was back in his eyes, as well as a hint of a challenge.

Well, Sango thought. He's not going to wring out an apology from me! Come to think of it, he should be the one to apologize for his awful behavior back in the garden!

"ExCUSE me," she said coldly. "I didn't hit you THAT hard!"

"How can you tell?"

"Well…surely it wasn't hard enough to give you a bruise that will last a week!" cried Sango. "What have you been doing to it?"

"What do you want me to say?" Fukuzawa asked, making it plain that he understood she was not going to accept any answer apart from the conclusion she had already drawn.

But her next move surprised him.

"Why does everything have to be a matter of evasion for you?" she asked suddenly, regarding him with narrowed eyes. "Why can't you just answer a simple question?"

Miroku froze.

Sango continued to stare at him. "I know how you do it. You've got no qualms about dissecting other people's lives for your enjoyment, but when it comes to yours, you're as tight as a sealed oyster, aren't you? What are you trying to hide?" She asked.

For one alarming minute, Miroku felt as though she had sliced through him effortlessly with those clear, brown eyes and had seen something deep inside him. But how could she possibly do that, when so many others had tried and failed?

This was getting weird.

He allowed a weary look to cross his face as he swerved to another direction. "And why is it every time we bump into each other, we end up fighting?" He asked.

"You see? You're changing the subject!"

"Why, Sango?" He persisted.

"Why are you asking me? You're the one who started all this! Remember what you said to me that day at the track oval?"

"I can remember what you said at the canteen," Miroku said, avoiding her question with practiced skill.

"Look!" she said, slamming her fist down on the table for good measure, having just about enough of his mind-twisting games. "Once and for all, I was not coming onto you then, okay?!"

Miroku held up a placating hand, grinning broadly. "There's really no need to be so…passionate about it, you know," he said, suggestively.

Sango turned a pretty shade of pink. He could tell by the way her brows were twitching that Sango was going to let loose a storm--as soon as she found her tongue. 

With an inward sigh of relief, Miroku relaxed, glad that he was back on familiar ground. 

Getting Sango all hay-wired, after all, was what he did best. But Sango getting clairvoyant and correctly guessing at some hidden aspects of himself was something he had not expected and did not care for. It would not do that she would know too much about him.

Before she could say anything, though, the food arrived.

Sango was too hungry not to start eating, thereby delaying the argument further and giving Miroku another chance to change the subject at will.

He looked at the food she had ordered with interest.

"You always order like this?" He asked, taking in the giant burger she was holding and the pile of fries before them.

"So?" she asked as she sipped her milk shake.

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head. "I take it you're not on a diet."

She fixed him with a deadly stare. "Do you think I need one?" she growled.

He looked at her appraisingly, and Sango could feel the warm caress of his eyes almost as though he had touched her. An alarming thing.

"No, you don't," he said quite truthfully. "It's just--I'm just relieved. You're the first girl I've been with for a long time who's not on a diet. I kind of missed that."

Sango blinked, not sure how this turn came about in the conversation.

"I mean, it's been hard going out with girls who don't eat much," he continued. "I end up starving as well."

Sango stared at him, groping for words. The moment turned awkward.

"Here," she finally said, pushing the plate of fries over to him. "I think I just lost my appetite."

It finally dawned on Miroku just what kind of impact his words had on Sango. "G-gomen," he said hurriedly. "I didn't mean--"

"No. Go ahead, have some."

Miroku sighed, aware that he had made a clumsy mistake. Somehow, with Sango, his smooth technique just seemed to short-circuit by itself. He finally took some of the fries as a gesture of peace.

An uncomfortable silence ensued.

"Do you…always use that line with the girls you go out with?" Sango ventured a bit cautiously.

"What?"

"You know. That diet line."

Miroku wanted to laugh. What was she getting at?

"Why would you want to know?" He asked.

"Because it sucks. I'd consider revising it if I were you, " she said calmly as she resumed eating.

Miroku stared at her, and it took him a moment to realize she had effectively robbed him of speech.

A most unprecedented notion!  Fukuzawa Miroku, captain of the debate team? Rendered speechless by Mikagi Sango? It was almost too much to bear!

"Are you…are you offering me advice?" He finally managed, beginning to smile.

He couldn't believe this!  This was getting to be the most interesting conversation he'd had the whole week!

"You mean to say you need it?" Sango fixed him a wide, innocent look.

Miroku blinked.  Was she finally getting even with him at last and calling it deuce? 

He had been right about this girl.  From the first instant, he knew she was going to be different.

"I'd like to hear what you have to say," he conceded, not giving her a direct answer.

Sango hesitated.

"No--seriously. Give me some feedback," he urged.

"Well," Sango began. "Girls, in general, are rather prickly about a lot of things, but nothing will strike a chord more than the mention of diet."

"Wait, wait. I don't get you. I thought girls are rather fond of saying they're on a diet. Like 'Oh, no thanks, I'm on a diet'--that kind of thing," said Miroku.

"That's exactly the point," said Sango, looking as though she had pinned down a very simple problem. "You let _them_ do the talking about diet. Boys simply _cannot _start the diet line and not expect the girl to run away. Especially with the way you started yours. You'll have her in paroxysms of self-consciousness in no time! She'll think, 'Does he think I need one?' See? Haven't you thought about that?"

From the look on Miroku's face, it seemed he had not.

He continued to look at Sango as though he had never seen her quite properly before.

"Well, you didn't seem to have trouble with it," said Miroku. Then he added hastily, "at least, not much."

"Oh, please," said Sango airily. "Why would I get affected by anything you say?"

Of course she did, and he knew it. But of course she wasn't going to remind him that.

Fukuzawa laughed, and Sango found herself looking away, alarmed at the flood of warmth she felt at the sound of his laughter.

A part of her was whispering she had to be extra careful. After all, this was no ordinary opponent.  This was the devious Fukuzawa Miroku she was dealing with here, and she was not supposed to lose sight of the fact she found him vile and disgusting. It was just difficult to focus on his vileness when he laughed. 

_What does he think he's doing?_ Sango was not buying the fact that a guy whom she had slapped the last time they met was on his best behavior now. It was obvious he was up to no good. But the prospect of being able to throw a little mud his way was too much for Sango to resist.

"You know, I always thought you knew all the answers when it comes to girls. It's really nice to know otherwise," she said, biting into her burger.

"Ouch." He grinned good-naturedly. He did not seem offended at all.

Sango relaxed, and most unexpectedly and almost against her will, the corners of her lips quirked sideways in the smallest of smiles. Miroku blinked, not sure he had seen right. It was certainly faint, but it was a smile nevertheless.

The fact that this was the first time she ever smiled at him like this was not lost on Miroku. He could feel something twist hard inside his chest, and for the second time that day, found that the power of speech had left him.

Almost instantly, though, as if Sango remembered who she was dealing with, her smile disappeared.

"So," she said formally. "How's it going with Kobayashi Koharu?"

Miroku was too skilled, too experienced to let his surprise show. So Sango had known. And there was no way she could have known if she had not been there in the corridor to witness it all yesterday. And quite obviously, she had jumped to her own conclusions.

"Fine.  Just fine.  You know Koharu?" Miroku asked politely.

_The nerve…! Isn't he going to say he's going out with her? _Sango thought, exasperated. _And if so, how could he possibly DARE to show up in public with another girl??!_

She couldn't explain it, but she deeply resented the fact that the _other_ girl had to be her.

But no matter how much she wanted to, Sango could not bring herself to open the delicate subject further, even though he did not seem to be uncomfortable with it. Well, why should she talk to him about it?  It's not really any of her business.

_But still…_

When she still didn't say anything, he changed direction. "So, how's it going with classes?"

After a brief struggle, Sango allowed to let the matter slide for a while.

"Fine. We've got a Math exam coming up."

"Oh? I'd suggest you get reviewers for that.  Knowing how Urasue-sensei formulates her exams, I'm sure she won't stick to just the lessons in the book," said Miroku.

Knowing that sadistic witch, she was going to get her stuff from a few select, reviewers, thought Miroku. He'd been there before.

"She doesn't," agreed Sango. "That's why I'm planning on dropping by the bookstore and buying some later."

"So when is the exam going to be?" 

"Wednesday."

Fukuzawa nodded and let the matter drop. He moved on to something more interesting.

"So.  How's it going with Higurashi and…what's his name again?"

"You mean Inu Yasha?"

"No…that guy with the short brown hair."

Sango felt her jaw drop open. "Y--you mean, _Houjo-kun_?" 

How could he possibly have known about Kagome and Houjo-kun?

"Right.  Him.  I saw him waiting for Higurashi outside this cafe this morning.  Seems like they had a date," said Miroku matter-of-factly. "And there I was thinking Nishi Inu Yasha had something going on with Higurashi based on the state he was in when I saw him last."

Sango frowned and her voice cooled noticeably by several degrees as she said, "it's no wonder, considering what _you_ were doing to Kagome-chan at the time." 

 Miroku paused briefly as he remembered the target audience to whom he had intended his little show with Higurashi that afternoon in question. Inu Yasha had only shown up by accident, but the whole thing had been meant for the girl sitting opposite him now.

He could tell she was not amused, but in a way, he was happy to note she had cared enough to remember at all.

Some of his thoughts must have shown on his face, for Sango asked a bit sharply, "And what are you smiling at?"

"Nothing," he said, hiding his grin as he sipped his coffee. "I was just thinking how looks could be deceiving. Too look at Inu Yasha and Higurashi…"

He shrugged eloquently.

"No…I don't think that's really it at all," said Sango softly, and Miroku looked up inquiringly at her suddenly meditative tone.

"I just think guys don't know what they really want," she said finally.

"You're generalizing," he observed, surprised.

"Am I?" Sango asked as she looked at him, her eyes rather thoughtful.

And Miroku quickly replaced the cup he was holding onto its saucer before he could spill its contents.

_What does she mean by that? And why is she looking at me that way?_

Sango looked as though she were about to ask him something but changed her mind at the last minute.

"I heard the debate team's hosting this year's interschool debate competition," she said instead.

"That's right," said Miroku, leaning forward despite himself. "It's two weeks away and we're in the middle of preparations.  Wish us luck with the debate."

"Well, you don't really need it," Sango said candidly, "I'm sure--" 

And she stopped abruptly as she realized the implication of what she had just said.

"Well," she said a bit defensively at the look of blank surprise on Miroku's face. "It's not like you don't know you're good at tearing people's arguments up!"

"I'll take that as a compliment," said Miroku, his eyes dancing.

_It's not meant to be one!_ She had wanted to say, but she was arrested by the happy look on his face.

Well, she really didn't mean to compliment him! She thought, irritated. And of course it wasn't her intention to make him happy! 

She cast around for something else to say.

"So what's the topic all about?"

"Do you really want to know about this stuff?" he asked. "I mean it's pretty boring."

It was never boring to him, but he knew most people found the technical issues of serious debate dull.

"Well, sure," she said in her usual no-nonsense way. He was aware that Sango would not bother to sit through anything with him out of sheer politeness, and the fact that she seemed genuinely interested in the debate topic made Miroku smile appreciatively.

"Okay, so this is how it goes…"

And most unexpectedly, one thing led to another, and the quiet, rainy Saturday afternoon sped by.

When Sango finally glanced outside, the rain had stopped. She gasped as she looked at her watch. 

"Time to go?" Miroku tried to keep the disappointment from showing in his voice.

"Yeah. It is." Was it just wishful thinking, or could it be he heard a tinge of regret in there somewhere?

He signaled for the check.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Sango said as he took hold of the chit when it came.

She made a swipe at it, but he effectively held it beyond her reach.

"Payment for your most insightful…advice earlier on," he said, fishing out a bill from his wallet.

"No way! I won't let you!" said Sango.

She turned to the waitress, who was watching their antics with considerable interest. "It's not like we're on a date or anything!" She said loudly.

The waitress smiled politely, accepting Fukuzawa's money all the same. Sango could tell she thought otherwise.

"Here." Sango pushed a bill toward Miroku once the waitress departed.

"What's that for?"

"My payment!" she said. "You don't think I'm going to let you walk out of here thinking you can have your way, do you?"

"Have my way?"

"I really don't know what you're up to, but I do know you're going out with Kobayashi Koharu, so you just can't do this!"

"Do what?" He asked very innocently.

"This!  This whole…thing about dating a number of girls all at once!"

"I thought you said this wasn't a date?" he asked and chuckled as he saw her turn bright red.

He had to admit, he had missed playing with Sango the whole week.

"C'mon, Sango, why can't I?" Miroku asked, beginning to smirk.

"S-sukebe!" It was the only thing Sango could think to say.

Miroku laughed--a pleasant, boyish sound full of mirth, highly addicting.  "My dear Sango, you still have a lot to learn. Just because I went out with Koharu doesn't mean we're going steady. That's quite a different thing entirely. So of course I can do this."

"This was NOT a date!" Sango hastened to clarify as they left the restaurant.

Miroku was still smiling, not bothering to agree or disagree. "Whatever this was," he said, shaking the remaining droplets of water from his umbrella before rolling it up, "it was highly interesting. I never thought I'd enjoy it immensely. I would, of course, offer to walk you to the subway, but no doubt you will turn it down. So I will take my leave now by saying I'm looking forward to seeing more of you soon, Sango."

With that, he turned to go, leaving Sango to wonder if what took place in the last two hours or so had been for real.

The guy was as obnoxious as ever, but underneath it all, there was something else about this guy...something that Sango had almost caught a glimpse of. And no doubt, he had discovered a thing or two about her that she was sure he would never have guessed at in a million years.

And the idea that they had somehow gotten along together, in whatever strange terms and however briefly, did not feel…unpleasant.

Whether Sango liked it or not, she had to admit something had changed. She was on speaking terms with Fukuzawa Miroku, but surely, he couldn't possibly mean that they're friends now, could he?

******************************


	16. Incidents

Dokyusei

by

Nana

Chapter 16

Incidents

_Beta Read by Kaerra_

********************************

Author's Notes: Umm…actually, I really have nothing to say about this chapter, except that Dark Flame has great intuition because she has guessed right about Kouga making his next appearance here. ^^ Please do read on. Reviews are very welcome.

Special Thanks:to Kaerra, a really gifted beta-reader, who helped streamline the words and sentences to make them more than what they were at the start.

Disclaimer: But you guys know all this stuff already! J

********************************

            Both girls had news to share that Monday, but Kagome had to admit Sango's was more intriguing.

            "Imagine that, Sango-chan!" she squealed delightedly as Sango finished narrating Fukuzawa'a latest outrageous escapade.

            Sango seemed far from thrilled.

            "What did it all mean?" Sango asked, exasperated.

            "It definitely means he wants things to go somewhere! Maybe he really wants to be friends with you!"

            "Kagome-chan…! This is…this the very same lech whom we're plotting against! Whatever is going to happen with our revenge thing?!"

            "I…wouldn't call it _plotting_ exactly," said Kagome testily. "And you said so yourself! He didn't try anything…you know, weird, right? You said he was on his best behavior."

            "He never had the opportunity.  He had to sit opposite me the whole time," said Sango dryly.

            "But this is an excellent start!" cried Kagome.

            Sango shifted uncomfortably in her seat and changed the subject. After all, it was not healthy speculating on the possible motives of a guy whom one wasn't sure of liking.

            "Talking of excellent starts, I take it you went out with _him_."

            "Oh. Yeah." Kagome's voice trailed off as she remembered her weekend rendezvous with Houjo-kun.

            "And?" Sango urged.

            "Well, I guess it was very…pleasant," said Kagome slowly. 

            Sango lifted an amused brow at the way Kagome was picking her words carefully.

"No, really!" said Kagome, noting Sango's skeptical gaze. "Houjo-kun was--is! What am I saying?--a really nice guy, so it went okay."

            "Just okay?"

            "Well…yeah…"

            "Well, what did you guys talk about?"

            Kagome frowned as she tried to remember. "Well, he was really very amusing. He knew a lot of jokes so we were laughing a good deal…"

            She trailed off, puzzled.

"Funny," she said after a while. "I can't seem to recall a single thing he said, though!"

            She and Sango looked at each other and burst out laughing ruefully.

            "Poor Houjo-kun," Kagome said somewhat guiltily, "but _HE WAS REALLY_ _NICE_!"

            This, in response to seeing Inu Yasha glaring at them close by, straining his ears to catch every word without appearing to do so.

            "He is such a loser," said Sango a bit sadly.

********************************

            But while the girls had dismissed Kagome's date as light fluff, others apparently did not have the same opinion.

            It was during recess that Kagome had emerged from the girl's comfort room to find herself accosted by someone she had not seen in a while.

"Hey, Kagome!"

            Kagome turned at the sound of that particular voice and noted with some surprise that Kouga Shizuki had turned up without his usual escorts.

            "K-Kouga-kun…!"

"We need to talk.  It won't take a minute, I promise. Come with me." With that, Kouga pulled Kagome to a corner, ignoring her protests that she was going to be late for the next period.

            "What has that idiot done now?" he demanded as he turned to her.

            "Who?" Kagome wanted to know, not sure where he was getting at.

            "That…dog!" Kouga bit out, not even deigning to use Inu Yasha's name. "What's he done now to drive you out on a date with a guy like-- like _that_?"

            It was pretty obvious who Kouga was referring to this time. Was it just her imagination, or did Kouga's voice carry a hint of laughter somewhere? 

It was apparent he thought of Houjo to be in the same category as Inu Yasha--guys whom you don't bother putting a name to.

            _Wha--? How--?_ Kagome thought, starting to feel irritated. She had one unspectacular weekend date and the news was spreading like wildfire. It was strange too, how this piece of news seemed to spark unusual interest in totally unexpected groups of people. 

            "His name is Houjo-kun," said Kagome evenly. "And he's a pretty nice guy."

            Kouga shook his head. "I totally understand if you think that dog's a complete jerk.  Can't say I didn't warn you. But Kagome, promise me this: next time you feel like wanting to hit him back for whatever it was he did to you, don't go running to just anybody.  I'd be more than willing to help. You can ask me!"

            "You mean…like ask _you _out?" Kagome could not believe what she was hearing. Kouga did not bother to clarify.

            "I'll be around," Kouga said as he cocked her a two-fingered salute and whipped around, preparing to leave.  In his haste, he nearly bumped into somebody.

            "My, my," came a low, caressing voice.  "Fancy meeting you inside school corridors."

            Kouga started and made as if to leap away from the pretty girl standing in front of him. "You…!" He began, his voice furious.

            Kagome looked at the newcomer curiously and realized with some surprise that she recognized her. She was sure everyone in the school would.

            She was of medium height, her hair tied and arranged elegantly with a feathered pin to the side.  She carried about her this strange, languid grace, although this was markedly absent when she was heading the cheerleading squad. Close-up, Kagome was startled to see that her slanting maroon eyes held more than a touch of malice as she looked at Kouga.

            Murukami Kagura continued to stare at Kouga with cold amusement, her small red lips tilted up a fraction on one side.

            "What the hell do you think you're doing, following me around?" Kouga shot at her without showing the slightest sign of gentlemanly instincts.

            Kagura allowed one fine eyebrow to arch up even as her eyes narrowed. "Don't flatter yourself too much," she said smoothly. "This is a corridor. You're in my way."

            "Feh!" Kouga said before he stalked past her and walked away.

            Kagura smiled, looking after his retreating back, and would have gone her way had her eyes not alighted on Kagome. 

The sophomore paused as she took in the girl before her from head to foot, and what surprised Kagome was the fact that the cheerleader seemed to recognize her. It was totally unexpected, and judging from the way she was looking at her, potentially unpleasant.

"You're that freshman, Higurashi, aren't you?" She asked in a cool voice. "The one who got Sesshou Maru his broken arm?"

_N-nani?!_

How did she come across that? Was that what all the upper classpeople were saying? Did they think that was the reason behind why Kendo Club president Sesshou Maru went about with his left arm in a sling? Well, in a way, it was, but it had been Sesshou Maru's fault for abducting her and using her as a pawn. It was not her fault that his plan backfired.  But Murukami was making it sound…different.

There was also a definite, odd note to Murukami's voice as she sized up Kagome, and her next words were even stranger. 

"What _did_ he ever see in you?" she murmured dismissively in an icy voice before gliding off, leaving Kagome standing there with no good opinion of her.

_What did it all mean?_

**************************

"Well, what's her problem?" Sango asked when Kagome told her what Murukami Kagura had said in the corridor.

Kagome shook her head, as mystified as Sango.

In its own way, it was good that the incident with Sesshou Maru had not reached the school administration.  Totosai-sensei had kept a lid on it because it was a matter involving his Club. Once the other older teachers got a whiff of it everyone was dead for sure.  Still, it was obvious that speculation had broken out among the student body, and some startlingly out-of-this-world conclusions had been drawn.

"You'd think she's got something going on with Sesshou Maru.  As if he'd give her the time of day." Sango sighed.

"Do you suppose there is something there?" asked Kagome, intrigued.  Murukami Kagura, after all, was one of the most popular girls in school. She was probably capable of snagging anyone she fancied.

"Who knows?  Sesshou Maru certainly never gave any indication that he noticed her. So you should a lift a page from his book. Don't pay any attention to her," Sango said before she dismissed the cheerleader from her mind. "Anyway, you were not the only one who's had an incident this recess!"

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.

Sango shook her head and smiled ruefully. "You'll never believe what that egghead Inu Yasha did."

"What?!"

What he did try to do was talk to Sango.  Unfortunately, he went about it the wrong way, as usual.

"I've been meaning to talk to you for a while now," said Inu Yasha unpleasantly as he sidled to a chair next to Sango.

It was a good opportunity; Kagome was out and this would probably be the only time he was going to catch Sango all alone.

Sango slanted him a half-lidded, bored look. After all, this was the girl who survived Fukuzawa Miroku.  After that guy, handling somebody like Inu Yasha was a cinch.

"Really?" she asked, entirely unimpressed.

"What's going on between that dork and Kagome?" he demanded.

"You mean, what's going on between you and Kitahara?" Sango shot back.

For a moment, Inu Yasha's mouth worked without successfully getting a single word out.

Finally, he resorted to his usual, "Feh! It's none of your business!"

"Then neither is it yours to find out what Kagome and Houjo are up to," said Sango very calmly before she returned to her notes.

_Man!_ She thought. _Boys are such idiots!_ If he had only caught her drift, Inu Yasha would have realized that Sango was answering his question by throwing him a question of her own.

Also, was it just her, or had she picked up a few tricks from Fukuzawa Miroku's book? There were some merits, after all, to launching and maintaining a cool, unhurried stance in an attack.  It made the impact of one's words more powerful, more lasting.

Recess had ended and Inu Yasha had not been able to think of a word to parry that last statement. Despite her tough words, Sango had ended up pitying the poor guy. 

Well, almost.

"That's it? That's all?" asked Kagome after Sango finished narrating her story. 

"Well, it's not much but it's a start," said Sango brightly, "from this point on, you might like to choose the way you're going to cook him: roast, fry, stew, simmer or boil--you name it. Torture him, Kagome-chan."

Kagome smiled involuntarily. 

Sango grinned and returned to her Math notes.  The mere sight of them was enough to erase the smile from her face and she sighed unhappily.

"You still haven't found that reviewer, have you?' asked Kagome.

"No," Sango said heavily. "I've searched all the bookstores."

"Don't worry about it. I can lend you mine."

"No, I couldn't," said Sango, shaking her head. "The exam's way too close. You'll be needing it yourself.  Thanks anyway."

"Maybe we can do some problems from the book every day," suggested Kagome. "That way we can shorten the odds--"

They looked up as a bit of a bustle sounded from the doorway.  One of the girls seated near the door came over to Sango quickly, her eyes alight with pleasurable interest.

"Sango," she said. "You've got a visitor."

"I do?" Sango asked quizzically as she got up, looking sideways at Kagome, who shrugged.

She couldn't think of anybody who would want to visit her. Nobody had ever done it before. So it came as a shock when she got out of the room to find him lounging easily against the wall. Sango halted so abruptly at the sight of him she skidded and nearly fell on the polished floor.

"W-what do you think you're doing here?" was the first thing she could think to say as soon as she recovered.

Fukuzawa Miroku raised an arched brow. "And hello to you too, Sango," he said politely, and broke into a disarming smile as he straightened himself up.

Sango cast a nervous eye at the door to her classroom before glaring at the sophomore. She was aware that some of her classmates were watching them with considerable interest, and she was willing to bet that it was all part of his grand design to be seen with her like this.

"Let's move over to the window," she muttered, surprised that she could keep her civility.  She had no choice. She knew as well as he did that she couldn't shout and scream at him inside school corridors without causing a stir.  Here inside school walls, he was her senpai, and she had to treat him with the same deference as she would anyone more senior than she.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed in a low voice as they turned to face each other near the corridor window. She fought to keep her breathing even. From the way her heart was racing, surely, surely he could hear it as loudly as she could in her ears.

At the back of her mind, she supposed it had occurred to her that he would misunderstand the incident that occurred last Saturday and she had worried that he would become sticky. But she had not expected him to do something like this too soon.

Well, here he was all right. Moreover, it seemed he had got it into his head that now he could approach her at will, take up her time anyway he saw fit, and embarrass her in front of her friends and classmates--

His next move, however, was totally unexpected.

"I came by to give you these," he said, producing some thin volumes of precious math reviewers--among them the elusive booklet she had been looking for.

Noting the startled look in her eyes, he said, "You said something about a Math exam last Saturday," he said. "I thought these would help."

"I--I don't understand," Sango said as he handed the books to her. "How did you know I wasn't ab--"

She stopped as she looked into his eyes.

"Oh, so you weren't able to find any of them in the bookstores? Not surprising, really.  These editions are hard to come by these days. Well, this is certainly a stroke of perfect timing!" he said with a smile. His voice and manner betraying nothing but innocent surprise, but the glint in his eyes told her something else.

He did not allow her to probe too long, though.

"Well, I do hope you do well in your exam," he said, lowering his eyes and turning away. "Gambatte, Sango."

Sango was so stunned she merely watched him go, and it took her a moment to realize she had not thanked him.

******************************

"This is really getting serious," said Kagome as she leafed through the pages of Fukuzawa's reviewers.

Sango's mind was curiously blank as she stared at the reviewers in disbelief.

"Look, he even scrawled down the steps to his answers beside the questions!" Kagome said, pointing at his handwriting. "I'm willing to bet they're all the right answers! He must've used them extensively last year. You're so lucky!"

"Am I?" Sango asked in a voice filled with dread.

Kagome looked up. "What's the matter with you?" she asked, beginning to smile. "I think he's being wonderful!"

"Is he? Why?" Sango wanted to know, her voice carrying with it a thin line of panic. "Don't you think this is too weird? He can't just show up like this! It's too coincidental!"

Kagome sighed. 

"Who knows?" she said. "But then, who knows also if he really just wants to help?"

She handed Sango the reviewers.

"I really think it's lovely that he seems to like you very much," she told Sango softly.

*******************************

_That damn Mikagi!_ Thought Inu Yasha, fuming, as he practiced his subari strokes that afternoon in a corner of the Kendo Club. He was oblivious to the nervous glances of his fellow kendoka, as well as the fact that he was being given a wide berth. The senpai were all glaring at him balefully, but they could not do anything--not when the sensei was there everyday now.

_You mean, what's going on between you and Kitahara…_

Sango's words came to him, unbidden, and he shook his head furiously. 

What's been going on between him and Kikyou?

Why, absolutely nothing, just in case it was not obvious enough for some people! In fact, for some strange reasons that she would not divulge, Kikyou absolutely hated him beyond words now.

_She said something about my betraying her…what could it possibly mean?_

No matter how many times he turned that piece of information around in his mind, Inu Yasha could not think of a single thing to make her so angry with him. It was rare enough for Kikyou to be angry, but for her to be so furious with him…

It just didn't make sense…

And Kagome…what was going to happen now between him and Kagome?

…?

_Him…and Kagome?_ Since when had he come to think of it _that_ way?

All of a sudden it was all too much for him to reason it out, to think of it at all, and he took refuge in the bamboo sword that he he held in his hands.

Totosai-sensei made his rounds, wearing his armor. He looked at Inu Yasha with approval as the strokes came swiftly and forcefully down before him at the precise middle.

"Everyone, look at Nishi's energetic strokes," he called. "I expect you all to follow his example here!"

Moriyama Jaken's huge, bulging eyes got so narrow they were almost slits as he regarded Inu Yasha with loathing.

_If he has not made enough enemies, he's made them now_, Jaken thought triumphantly of the younger boy whose furious blows had brought down the great Sesshou Maru.  Since that fateful night, his senpai had not been able to attend a single practice session--not since he had to have his arm in a sling.

_And it's all his fault!_ Jaken thought furiously, eyeing Inu Yasha. There must be some way Sesshou Maru sama can get back at this disrespectful kouhai; he sorely needed to be taught a lesson.

So far, Sesshou Maru sama had been awfully quiet about the arm in the sling. Very few had dared to ask him directly, and he had given no reply.  It was he, Moriyama Jaken, who had started that vague line about the girl being behind it all. That was sure to catch fire, and hopefully, discredit her.

But how to discredit Inu Yasha?

_There has got to be a way to break that damned kouhai…_

********************************

A few hours later found Sesshou Maru finishing the last of the files inside the Kendo Club office and preparing to leave. It had not been easy doing anything at all with a disabled arm, and paperwork was just about the most he could do right now, but at least it gave him something to do. Frankly, he hated thinking about his broken arm and the situation leading to its current state. 

Outside, it was already quite dark.  Most of the students had left the school buildings.

After Kendo practice, Jaken had hung around awkwardly, asking hopefully if he needed his assistance, but he had waved off the kouhai.  After all, he didn't need a damned escort to do things.

As he stepped out into the cool night air, he slowly took his left arm out of its sling. It seemed all right now, he thought, flexing his fingers and bandaged wrist thoughtfully.  The pain and the curious tingling sensation were gone, and full movement had been restored. 

Seconds ticked by. Sesshou Maru continued to look at his injured hand, his expression unreadable.

Then, he said, "you cannot think to fool me by hiding there. You might as well show yourself." 

From the inky shadows just off the warm glow of the streetlight before him, a soft laugh issued from a feminine throat.

Murukami Kagura stepped into the puddle of light. "Still as sharp as ever, Sesshou Maru senpai," she observed in a languid tone. "I see your arm's okay now."

Sesshou Maru did not answer.

Kagura looked at him full in the face without a trace of meekness befitting a kouhai. She had always enjoyed looking at him, right from the first moment she had seen him. But she had had enough with having to put up with his expressionless mask. She had to admit, she could not imagine anyone looking at her with such bored blankness. It was an entirely novel experience for her, and she had found it extremely irritating. She would not allow that from anyone. The prospect of stirring anger, possibly rage--anything--within him was terribly appealing.

"The pain must have been pretty unbearable, huh, Sesshou Maru senpai?" she goaded softly, her voice almost a purr. 

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, it's not the physical pain," she said lightly. "The humiliation, I mean.  Losing to a newcomer like that. For someone of your bearing, it was…excruciating, wasn't it?"

She paused expectantly, but Sesshou Maru was showing no signs of indulging her wish to see some reaction on his face.

Ah well.  Next time, perhaps. 

There would be plenty of opportunity next time.

"You do know what you have to do now, don't you?" she continued.

"And what is that?"

"To finish what you've started with Inu Yasha, of course."

***************************************


	17. Trap

Dokyusei

by 

Nana

Chapter 17

Trap

_Beta-read by** Kaerra**_

***********************************

Author's Notes: Finally! Sorry this has taken forever to finish! In answer to Kirrara Love and Dark Flame's question about Kohaku and Rin making an appearance, yes, they will. So will Shippou. Kohaku makes his first appearance here.

Disclaimer: Ah, even a million wishes would not make Inu Yasha mine…

***********************************

            Kagome arrived at school to find a crowd of freshmen milling around the quadrangle, where huge boards were set up.

            There was only one explanation.

            _The English exam results…_

            Kagome felt a lump form in her throat as she hurried over to the boards. She had been waiting anxiously for the results because she wasn't really very sure how her exam had turned out. She had filled in the answers to the questions with a mounting sense of dread.  Supposing they were not the right ones?

            "Sumimasen…sumimasen…"

            Through the thick crowd of first years milling around, Kagome heard Sango shout," Kagome-chan! Over here!"

            Kagome worked her way over to Sango.

            "How did it go?" she asked.

            "Take a look!" said Sango, grinning.

            "Did I do well?" Kagome asked anxiously.

            "Are you kidding?" said Sango. "You aced it!"

            Kagome felt her jaw drop as she stared at the top of the list.

            HIGURASHI KAGOME, the name spelled out. Below her name was the grade: 98%

            "Sugoi!" cried Sango, clapping her round the shoulders. "How did you do it?"

            "I…I don't know!"

            Sango shook her head. "After acing every exam since the first sem, Kitahara Kikyo's finally been beaten…by two points!" she said, pointing at the board.  

"A-no…Sango," whispered Kagome self-consciously as people started to notice her and point at her direction. "We've still got a Math exam and all. Let's get out of here."

"Okay."

A little behind them and to the side, a girl with long dark hair stared at them for a while before she quietly detached herself from the crowd.

******************************

            The bell sounded, signaling the start of recess.

"Time's up!" Urasue-sensai snapped. "Pass in your papers!"

            As Sango passed her exam questionnaire to the boy seated before her, she turned to Kagome, her eyes wide. "I can't believe it," she whispered. 

            "Yeah," Kagome said, shaking her head. "Whatever would we do without Fukuzawa-senpai's reviewers?"

            "I can't believe she can lift so many questions out of a single reviewer!" Sango sounded almost angry. "It's indecent!"

            Kagome turned away to hide her smile.

            In a way, she understood the difficult plight Sango was in. It was all so confusing! How was Sango going to deal with Fukuzawa now, knowing that he had somehow saved her? 

            Saved her and compromised her, actually.

            More importantly, what was he going to ask of Sango in return? Kagome knew as well as Sango did that Fukuzawa was not one to pass out free favors.

            Kagome sighed. 

            "That does it."

She looked up as she heard Sango push back her chair.

            "Where are you going?" she asked as Sango stood up.

            "I'm returning these to their rightful owner. Now." Sango indicated the reviewers. She sounded as though she could not wait to get them off her hands.

            "Do you want me to come with you?"

            "Umm…no. I'll be alright," said Sango grimly. "Thanks anyway."

            Perhaps she was right. Maybe it would be better if there would be no witnesses. From the look of things, Fukuzawa seemed more likely to be getting a pounding rather than a 'thank you' from Sango.

            "Good luck," Kagome murmured inaudibly as Sango squared her shoulders and took off.

            Apparently, Sango was not the only who was making herself scarce this recess time. Kagome glanced at the empty seat a few feet away from her and sighed. 

            She and Inu Yasha had not spoken a word to each other for quite some time now. Six days and counting…

            Well, they really didn't have much to say now, did they?

            After a few minutes, Kagome didn't feel like sitting anymore and she got up. A walk around the corridors would be nice…

**********************************
    
            Upon reaching the sophomores' corridor, Sango quickly walked towards her destination.  The door to the classroom she was heading for loomed larger and larger with each step.

She was almost there, but felt that she had better hurry up before her nerve broke down completely.

Sango hesitated in front of the doorway, gripping the reviewers tightly in her hands. She was painfully aware of the irony of it all.

            She had done this lots of times, visiting Takagi-senpai, and she was perfectly comfortable with it. But who would have thought the day would come when she would be visiting Fukuzawa?

            For one thing, she was visiting somebody whom she wasn't sure was a friend. Second, she knew it was better that she did this now rather than risk another visit from _him_ in her own classroom. The first time had been embarrassing enough as it was.

            _Just get on with it_, she thought. _It's going to be all over soon._

            A figure appeared suddenly in front of her, and Sango jumped, biting back the terrified urge to scream and run away.

            "Hey," said a familiar voice. "Sango, what are you doing here?"

            Sango looked up to find Takagi looking at her with a sunny smile.

            "Oh, it's you, Takagi-senpai," she breathed, relaxing visibly.

            "Well, are you expecting somebody else?" he asked, grinning.

            Sango stared at him.
    
            _Well yeah, as a matter of fact I am... _an irrational, annoyed part of
    
    her was quick to say.  Horrified by the disloyalty such a thought implied, she hastily shoved it away.

She was…annoyed at Takagi-senpai? The thought was as atrocious and impossible as, well…the plight she was in right now!

She looked down at the books. Man, this was going to be _sooo _awkward! But this was an excellent opportunity as well! Fukuzawa did not seem to be in, and she could just drop off the reviewers now and say her thanks some other time. She knew it was not polite, that the very least she could do was return them to him personally, but--

            "Uhh…right," she mumbled, blushing slightly. "Umm…actually, I came by to return these to…umm…"

            Takagi peered down at the reviewers she held and said, puzzled, "I didn't lend you those."

            "Yes! I mean, no…no, they're not yours," agreed Sango uneasily." I mean…they're--"

            "Mine," finished a dry voice behind Sango.

            _Kami…_there was no mistaking that voice anywhere. 

So much for her initial hope that he would not show up. Sango knew her time was up, that she had no choice now but to face the music. _Might as well get it over with!_

She hesitated for just a fraction of a second and turned to Fukuzawa, holding out the books with both hands extended straight in front of her in the traditional gesture of respect. Whatever Fukuzawa thought of her, she was definitely not lacking in manners.

"They--they were a great help. Thank you very much, Fukuzawa-senpai," she said, cutting to the essentials.

_Fukuzawa-senpai…_the name sounded alien to her tongue, and Sango realized that this was the first time she had ever addressed him by his name. Usually a furious _"you…!" _was enough to acknowledge his presence.

"F-Fukuzawa lent you those?" From the side, Takagi sounded as though he could not believe it.

Fukuzawa ignored him and continued look at Sango with great interest. He smiled at her formal message of thanks but did not take back the reviewers.

"Your exam's over, then," he said. He was staring straight at her; he did not seem to be aware that Sango's arms were starting to turn sore and tremble from their extended position.

"Yes," she almost growled. "Just a few minutes ago."

Fukuzawa lifted a brow. "Very conscientious and punctual of you," he said pleasantly. Still he made no move to accept the books.

_Dammit!_ She thought furiously. _Just take them now, why don't you?_

Miroku's smile widened inwardly as he took in her fierce gaze. "I'd keep them for the next exam if I were you," he advised as he finally plucked a reviewer from her hands at random and opened it. "See here? They also have some exercises for your next lessons."

"I--I was thinking of buying some copies for myself as soon as I can," she said, trying to keep the exasperation from showing in her voice as she finally lowered her aching arms. 

"But you haven't found them yet, have you?" he asked, handing her back the book.

"Well…"

"Take your time with these," he said. "I won't be needing them anytime soon, anyway."

Sango stared at him suspiciously. He sounded kind.

Her eyes widened in horror at the thought, and she found she could not say anything. Was she out of her mind? Fukuzawa Miroku--being kind?  That was too--_too--!_

_He is not being kind,_ she reminded herself angrily. In fact, she was sure he thought he was being extremely clever. He wasn't taking back the reviewers because that would make him lose whatever leverage he's got over her, wouldn't he?

And she knew that _he knew_ she couldn't refuse him without being rude. Not in front of Takagi. Not while she was in his turf. His smile told her that much.

"Okay. Fine. Whatever," she heard herself say as her temper got the better of her. "Arigatou gozaimasu."

From her tone, she would have done better if she had told Fukuzawa she was going to kill him instead of thanking him.

"You're welcome," Fukuzawa said softly, grinning.

Takagi stared at Sango as she stormed away before directing his attention at Fukuzawa, and it was apparent he wasn't sure what was more shocking: that Sango could parry a senpai like that or the fact that Fukuzawa seemed to be enjoying himself immensely at her expense.

Takagi was about to look away from his classmate when he caught something on Fukuzawa's face.  

After a while, Miroku sensed that he was being watched, and he turned to a stunned Takagi.

"What?" Miroku said. 

"No way," muttered Takagi faintly.

*********************************

            Kagome's walk wasn't turning out very well. She should have known the classroom was a sanctuary.

            One wrong turn in a corridor and she found the reason why Inu Yasha was making himself scarce. Kagome dodged back quickly into the corner from where she had emerged and cautiously peeped out.

            He was standing by a huge window, and he was not alone. He was looking down and talking to Kitahara Kikyou as she stood quietly gazing out the window ledge. The gentle breeze stirred her hair, but apart from the small movement, she remained still.

             Still and unresisting.

            Not the struggling, angry Kikyou in the garden. The Kikyou she was seeing now seemed liked she had pulled herself together enough to be able to handle a talk from a former boyfriend.

            _Or a reconciliation…_whispered a part of her treacherous, wayward brain.

            Her hands gradually balled into tight fists, and she took a couple of steadying breaths.

            Well…she couldn't say she had not seen this coming. Besides, she was supposed to be branching off and leading her own life right now anyway.

            She could hear Inu Yasha's voice murmuring, but the words were muffled.

            After a while, she sighed and gave up.

            _What am I doing, standing here?_ Kagome thought miserably. _This is so pathetic…_

            She froze as she felt a gentle stir of wind behind her, and turned to see who had appeared from behind. It was lucky her voice had died away in shock, or else she would have blown her cover.

            "My, my…and what juicy tidbits has this little eavesdropper been able to pick up?" Murakami Kagura smiled as she continued to fan herself idly.

            Kagome bristled.

            Kagura folded her fan with a single, graceful flick of her wrist. "At this distance, I guess it would be safe to say…none?" She answered her own question. "You can't hear a single word, can you, my dear?"

            "What do you want?" Kagome asked.

            Kagura made as though she did not hear her. "It's quite alright," she said soothingly. "I know what they're up to."

******************************

            That afternoon found Sango wandering unhappily down the aisles of a bookstore.  
    
    Upon seeing her enter the store, the sales clerk had immediately recognized her and was shaking her head apologetically before Sango had a chance to form the words in her head.

            No, no new deliveries had been made. The math reviewer she desperately wanted still remained at large. 

            Sango should not have wasted her time, but she prowled the aisles anyway, looking for a close substitute for the reviewer. Also, she needed to pace because she felt bad about what happened earlier in the day. She was sure Takagi would not be thinking well of her. But could it be that she was being paranoid?

            And what about Fukuzawa?

            Could it just be possible that he had only been trying to help her? If it were so, she had done him a grave injustice. He had given her the reviewers and she had groused all over him in front of his classmate.

            Sango stared at the books before her bleakly.

            But there had been something in the way he looked at her and smiled. As if he knew something…as if he were highly amused at a private game he was playing at her expense…

            Or was it all just in her head?

            _Well, jeez, Sango…isn't it obvious he's laughing at you for some reason? Isn't it obvious he's using the books as a collateral? But…why?_

She stared blankly at the books before her, but they refused to divulge their secrets in the same way those questions could not find themselves an answer.

            Shelves upon shelves of reviewers were there for the taking, but how could that one elusive book escape her when she needed it most? She picked a book at random, and as she got it out, the space left a peeping hole onto the other side of the bookcase.

            Sango froze as something on the other side of that casing attracted her attention.

            It took her a moment to realize that she was looking straight at someone on the other side--a small eye blinking nervously behind black, horn-rimmed glasses met her abrupt gaze. She hesitated for just a fraction before reflex took over.

            The guy--she was pretty sure who it was now--made a frightened squeak upon seeing her and began to run for it, past the bookshelves, toward the bookstore's exit, his plump, stubby legs carrying him as fast as they could go. But Sango was too quick for him.  She covered the space between them effortlessly and lunged at him just as he was about to launch himself out of the door. Her hands fisted tightly around his school jacket.

            Panting, the guy cowered as she hauled him in.  Sango said sweetly, "Well, hello there, Hachi. I was just thinking you have to fit into everything somehow."

********************************

            "I--I really don't know what y--you think you're doing," said Hachi as Sango dumped him abruptly onto a seat in the nearest coffee shop.

            "I sure as hell do," she sang in the same sweet tone as she sat opposite him and prepared her inquisition.

            Hachi glanced around him for a way out, panicked.

            Sango looked at him and shook her head. "I wouldn't even think about it if I were you. I'd probably run you down before you took a step out of your seat," she warned.

            Hachi shrank back in his seat.

            "Good boy. Now," she switched to a business-like tone and carefully folded her hands before her on the table. "Supposing you tell me what that encounter in the bookstore was all about."

            "Wh--wha--?" wheezed Hachi. "I was just there by accident, I swear!"

            "Yeah, right," snapped Sango as she brought her palms down on the table, hard. "So you're telling me that Fukuzawa just coincidentally thought I might be needing reviewers one day and--boom!--there he was outside my classroom like a genie? I don't think so."

            "Well…you weren't able to get some for your own," argued Hachi. "I mean, what's so bad about him lending you some reviewers that you sorely needed?"

            "That's not the point," Sango said, irritated. "How was he able to find out I needed them in the first place?"

            Hachi's mouth formed a series of O's but no sound emerged. 

Sango stared at him with lowered brows. "How long has he sent you to spy on me like this?" she asked softly.

            "B-but," began Hachi.

            "What is the motive behind all this?" Sango growled. "What does he want to know about me, specifically?"

            Hachi searched around for something to say.  "Everything?" he said finally.

            Sango paused, disconcerted.

            "That…that was what he said," Hachi said defensively as she glared at him.

"Look! If this is some sort of sick game you debate guys--"

            "N--no!" said Hachi, plainly horrified. "It's not like that at all!"

            "Well, what is this then?" Sango thundered.

            "I--I just told you--!!" Hachi said, aggravated. "What's so bad about a guy wanting to help someone? You probably won't believe me, but Fukuzawa-sama is a really decent and thoughtful person. He wouldn't hesitate to help you out if he knew you were in trouble, or--or--"

            Sango felt her brows twitching. "What…does he mean by everything?" she asked, appearing not have heard Hachi's string of compliments for his boss. Even though she wouldn't admit it, this was getting interesting.

            "Y-you know, the usual things," said Hachi nervously. "What you like to do after classes, what you like to eat, where you're having difficulty in your studies, what your favorite reading materials are…that kind of stuff."

            Sango blinked. 

            "Why does he want to know all about _those_?" Sango cried, exasperated.

            Man, if he were really going to dig dirt, he was going about it the wrong way, she thought. _Not_ that she had any dirt to bury, mind you, but Hachi was making Fukuzawa's pursuit of her hobbies seem innocent and wholesome.

            Now why would Fukuzawa want to know all about the mundane details of her daily routine? It's not like he was going to glean much from any of the things Hachi had mentioned and use it against her.

            "Maybe…he just wants to know you?" Hachi suggested hesitantly.

            Sango huffed, then paused as she digested Hachi's words. Well, sure, that would probably be the chief reason behind it all, but she was keener on finding out how he was going to manipulate things to suit himself.

            "Why? So he can talk about me and plot strategies with you guys?" Sango said bitterly.

            She was remembering that café scene where Hachi and Aoki Jun had been witnesses to Fukuzawa's antics with Kagome.

            To his credit, Hachi did not bother to deny anything. Instead, and much to Sango's surprise, he said softly, "Well, yes. That's true. He likes to talk about you. But--but it's not what you think!"

            "Hah! And what am I supposed to think?" said Sango. She knew it.  She just knew it. That lousy sukebe…

            She looked away from Hachi, muttering, "I don't get it. I've never been anything but rude and short-tempered with him--he should be getting the message loud and clear by now--and yet why does he keep doing this?"

            Hachi searched around for something to say. "Because…because he says you're really pretty when you get mad?"

            Sango's ponytail did a dangerous flip as she whipped around and fixed Hachi with a deadly stare.

            "That…that is just--s_oooo…_twisted!" she managed when she recovered.

            "Please don't kill me," whimpered Hachi. 

            "No," said Sango grimly. "Not yet anyway. There are some things I'd like to ask about _him_."

            "Huh?" Hachi blinked in surprise.

*******************************

            "Sango, dear, help me carry the rice out," said her mother that night as they prepared for an early dinner that evening.

            "Hai…" Mechanically, she reached over and unplugged the rice cooker. She lifted the inner container out with mittened hands.

            "Oops…no, Kirara," she crooned, taking care not to step on Kirara, her pet cat, who was eeling her way around her ankles.

            "Kohaku! Dinner!" She heard her mom calling out as she emerged from the kitchen with the pot of rice.  

Otousan lowered the newspaper he was reading as Sango passed him a bowl of rice. "Well? How did your Math exam go?" he asked.

            "Very well," Sango shrugged. "The reviewers came in handy."

            "That's good."

            Of course, she didn't tell them where the books came from. She felt they didn't need to know.

            She turned to Kohaku. "How's soccer practice coming along?" she asked, deftly changing the topic of conversation.

            "Fine," Kohaku said as he began piling some toppings onto his rice. "The tourney's next Saturday, so we'll be having practice sessions every day after classes."

            Kohaku was eleven, and at that age only one thing obsessed him beyond everything else--the primary school football team.

            "Just make sure it doesn't affect your homework," said their father. 

            "Hai…"

            The phone rang.

            "I'll get it," Sango said as she stood up and made for the living room.

            "Moshi-moshi?"

            "Please, may I speak with Sango?"

            "Speaking," she said.

            "Sango-chan, this is Kagome's mother."

            "Mrs. Higurahi?"

            "Is Kagome with you?"  
            "Uhh, no. I had to go to the bookstores this afternoon, so we parted ways at school."

            "I see…she isn't back yet."

            Sango felt her heart freeze for an instant. "Maybe she just did some overtime for that science experiment of ours," she heard herself say. "I mean, we usually have to stay after classes for it. It's only a quarter to 6 pm. Maybe she'll call really soon."

            "Yes. I'm sure she will. Well, thank you, Sango."

            Sango stared at the receiver before putting it down. She returned to the dining table and began to eat as fast as she can.

            "I'm done," she announced, putting down her bowl and chopsticks. "May I be excused?"

            "Where are you going?" Okaasan asked.

            "I--I forgot something in school. It's still early, so I won't be too long," she said. "I'll be back really soon, okay?"

*******************************

            Fukuzawa Miroku sighed as he slammed the door to the debate room shut and went for the stairs.

            Man, but he was tired.

            What with the debate competition coming up and all, things had been pretty hectic. Ah well. At least Hachi would be calling later to fill him up on the latest news about his quarry. That would cheer him up, at least.

            _Sango…whatever could she be doing right now?_

            No sooner had the thought emerge when the actual person came running into view.

For a moment, Miroku blinked, not sure if what he was seeing was for real or if his mind, in its tired state, had finally given way and had started playing tricks on him.

Sango paused for breath as she reached the lobby of the school building. She looked around, deciding where she should begin her search.

"Sango."

She turned around sharply as she saw Miroku making his way over to her from the direction of the stairs.

There was no time to exchange fire with him now.

"Don't start," she warned when she saw him about to open his mouth. "I've got plenty to say to you as well, but that can wait. Right now you've got to help me."

******************************************


	18. Rendezvous

Dokyusei

by

Nana

Chapter 18

**Rendezvous**

**Author's Notes: **Before anything else, I would like to thank all the people who had written for updates on this story. There is nothing more touching than to read all your messages asking me not to give up on this project. I owe this small comeback to all of you, and I had promised before that I would not leave a story unfinished, so here is chapter 18 now. Please do bear with me, as I have less time now for updates, but I promise to move things along as best as I can.

I also need to limit this story's parallelisms with the actual storyline of Inu Yasha, because in the two years since my last update (bad Nana!), a lot has happened to the characters and many relationships have evolved (especially S x M, IY x Kag, even IY x Kikyou) to the point that the relationships being developed in this AU may no longer be mirror-images of their more modern counterparts in the series. It is also unfortunate that I have lost touch with the new twists, characters and plots of the later volumes of the IY world, but perhaps it is better this way as I cannot let this story drag on and expand. Perhaps new characters may be included, perhaps not, but we shall see, ne? For now, I will limit the storyline to the characters and events around volumes 27-28 of the series. We shall see how things go from there.

**Disclaimer: **After all this time, actual story and characters are still not mine.

* * *

"You know," said Miroku conversationally, "if you will just tell me what we're looking for exactly, maybe I will be able to help you a little."

This, after he had watched Sango go through every classroom on the freshmen's floor. His interest had been mildly piqued by the anxious way she was going through the classrooms. Most of his attention, however, was taken up by the puzzling notion that Sango was suddenly talking to him and asking for his help.

It had been most unexpected, and to be perfectly truthful, quite exhilarating. It was turning out to be the highlight of his day, and it was taking a great deal of effort on his part not to let it show. Trapping Sango into having lunch with him was one thing, but to have her initiating this kind of move on her own was another.

As he strove to retain a calm, nonchalant front, he did a hasty mental check-up to make sure that his defenses were up and ready to handle any assault that may be in the works. The cause of this startling turn of events was beyond him at the moment, but it was something Miroku intended to find out as soon as possible. It wouldn't do for him not to know what his quarry was up to.

"It might be something," Sango said at last, deep in thought. "Or it could be nothing at all. It's just…"

"Just…?" prompted Miroku as Sango fell silent again, continuing her search.

"The lab's empty!" she exclaimed after checking the chemistry laboratory.

"Were you expecting otherwise?" Miroku asked. "C'mon, what are you looking for?"

"Kagome-chan," she said after a brief hesitation. She wasn't sure if she could trust him not to blab, but if she were going to need some assistance from him sooner or later, he might as well know what was going on.

"Higurashi?" He asked, his brows up. "She'd certainly be easy enough to find. What makes you think she's missing though?"

"Her mother called me. She said Kagome wasn't back from school yet, and she had left no word. That's not like her to just disappear like that and--" said Sango.

Miroku shook his head. "Things like that happen all the time," he said, watching Sango with a sudden intense look, "but that's not the thing that's bothering you, is it, Sango?"

Sango stared at him, surprised at his sharp observation. "No," she said finally.

"Tell me," he said patiently.

Sango shivered. "I--I don't know," she said. "It's just a feeling, I guess. I mean, it could be nothing. Kagome-chan might have just forgotten to call home, but…if she's gone missing, this would not be the first time."

She walked past Miroku. "C'mon, we've got to check the other places of the school. The Kendo Club--"

Miroku caught on very quickly. "You think her disappearance has something to do with the Kendo people?" he asked, suddenly very interested.

Sango looked away, wondering uneasily how he could possibly be guessing correctly at her line of thought every step of the way.

"So that rumor about Sesshou Maru--"

"What rumor?" asked Sango a bit sharply.

"There was some vague talk about how Higurashi had figured in Sesshou Maru's…accident," said Miroku.

"Accident?"

"His broken arm," Miroku clarified.

"Really?" said Sango uneasily. She wasn't sure if she wanted to feed Fukuzawa any details than what was necessary. He did not press the issue though.

The Kendo Club did not have practice sessions that day, and Sango found herself staring at the mute wooden doors as they stayed solidly shut.

_What now…?_

"Even if Higurashi were here, I doubt it very much if Sesshou Maru would want people to find out that she was hanging around the Kendo Club," said Miroku from behind.

Sango turned to him, annoyed. "I wouldn't be so sure of that, if I were you," she said. She sighed as she turned back to stare at the closed doors. "Well, do you have a better idea where we're supposed to start looking?"

"How about outside?"

"The gardens!" breathed Sango. "I should have checked there first…!"

But even as they neared their destination, it seemed as though the gardens themselves wanted to have nothing more to do with Kagome.

"Well, look who we have here," remarked Miroku.

They stopped as a silhouette appeared and became distinct from the shadows of trees. Kagome erupted from the gardens, a grim look of determination on her face.

"Kagome-chan!" Sango gasped as she ran over to her friend. Before reaching her, though, Sango hesitated.

She had never seen her friend looking so…angry.

Kagome checked abruptly upon seeing Sango. "Sango-chan…what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Where were you? What happened? What are you doing here so la--" Sango stopped when she noted that Kagome was trembling. That couldn't be good, could it?

"Heads up," said Miroku softly.

From the direction where Kagome came from, another silhouette was rapidly disengaging itself from the mass of shadows from the garden.

"Oy, Kagome!" they heard a familiar voice call. "I'm not finished with you yet!"

Even as Sango turned to stare in surprise at the advancing figure of Inu Yasha, Kagome stiffened.

"Don't you dare follow me around!" she hissed. "I meant what I said back there!"

_Uh-oh…_

Sango glanced at Miroku uneasily, thinking that she had indeed made a mistake by getting him to accompany her. Clearly, she had overestimated the entire situation. Not only was his assistance not needed, she had invited him along for a free show.

Because whether anyone liked it or not, there was no stopping this latest tirade from exploding right in front of everybody.

* * *

It was stupid, it was totally undignified and Kagome didn't know why she did it. Something was driving her on. Perhaps it had been the tone of that sophomore Murakami Kagura's voice--soothing and patronizing at the same time, with just a hint of scorn underneath.

_"I know what they're up to…"_

As they stood facing each other in the school corridor that morning, Murakami had smiled coldly as she said, "they're going to rendezvous at the botanical gardens after classes. They always did, back in the days when they were together."

The tone of voice, the smile, the information--they were all calculated to hurt. The situation had all the makings of a trap, but Kagome had to admit it was quite effective. Perhaps Kagura had known all along that nothing was going to keep Kagome away, and she was now confirming the sophomore's belief.

Kagome was ready to cry when she found herself making headway to the gardens immediately after the dismissal bell had rung.

_What are you doing?_ Her mind shrieked. _Why are you even listening to her!_

But there was no stopping this mad impulse.

And it seemed that the girl had not been lying either. Kitahara Kikyou was already there, waiting. At the sight of her, Kagome stopped and dodged for cover behind a tree.

_Kami…did she see me? _Kagome thought, her heart hammering as guilt and shame kicked in. That was close. Too close. She had been so preoccupied that she had not even noticed Kitahara until it was nearly too late.

But why would she even feel frightened at the thought of Kitahara seeing her this way?

_Because it's not appropriate, Kagome!_ cried a voice inside her head. _You're eavesdropping on a private meeting!_

But it's so unfair! Why would Inu Yasha even want to rendezvous with an old flame of his? wailed another part of her head to herself.

_Aah…but what's it to you? You don't exactly mean anything to him now, do you? _The small voice inside her asked patiently, logically.

But Kagome knew it was not true. At least, it could not be entirely true. Not since that incident with Sesshou Maru…not since the morning after, when she thought she had heard him say--

_"I want you by my side…"_

How could he possibly say such a thing to her one day and decide to meet up with an old flame of his in the gardens the next? Did he mean what he said at all, or was it just a brief spurt of empathy owing to what they had gone through the night before?

Like it or not, Kagome was intent on finding out the reason for this tryst.

As for Kitahara Kikyou, she merely turned and regarded the direction where the strange rustling sound had come from, her face inscrutable. She stayed that way for a long time, until a new sound distracted her.

Kagome peered around the trunk of the tree as Inu Yasha slowly came into view.

"Well, I thought this day's never going to come," Inu Yasha said sarcastically as he finally spotted Kikyou. "You ditch me time and again and now you want to meet?"

From her hiding place, Kagome could just make out Kikyou's words as she answered, "you can go back the way you came if you don't want to see me, Inu Yasha. It's really that simple."

Inu Yasha snorted. "Don't be absurd," he said, then his voice dropped uncharacteristically until it became only a mutter as he continued, "of course I'd want to meet you. To clear up this ridiculous misunderstanding once and for all. Whatever it is."

As he said those words, Kagome could feel a slow, steady ache form in her chest. _So he really doesn't hate her after all…_

She wasn't given time to think about the matter further, for at his words, Kikyou whirled around, her voice unusually agitated as she said, "don't give me that! You knew exactly what happened! You were irresponsible enough to have caused that rumor! If you must know, it has caused tremendous damage to my record. Thanks to you, I may never get into university after I graduate, and—"

"That's a lie!" Inu Yasha shouted. "I never said anything that may have caused a rumor! Kikyou! You can't believe that I would do a thing like that to you! Ever since this started, _there hasn't been a single day when I do not think about you!_ "

There was a short, sharp silence that followed when all Kagome could hear was the painful beating of her heart.

"Well, it's done and there's nothing anyone can do to erase it," said Kikyou, trembling. "It's too late to return to how we were before. I must be mad, calling you out to meet you like this. But I just---I just wanted to see you…"

She hung her head, and Inu Yasha made to move over to her, arms outstretched.

At this point, Kagome turned away, feeling that hearing and seeing anymore was going to make her sick, when she caught sight of a pair of dark shoes standing quietly a few feet away from her. To her horror, dark trousers were to be seen rising from them, giving way to more of the same as Kagome, petrified, slowly looked up at her fellow eavesdropper. She could see hands thrust into the pockets of those trousers…up, up her gaze went, past the meticulous male school uniform and onto the impassive face of Sesshou Maru.

Kagome did not quite know what happened next. She supposed she must have opened her mouth, intending to scream (although mercifully her throat had seized up), but one cold, slanting look from Sesshou Maru had quelled that impulse.

He turned back to the scene before them, his golden eyes narrowing as he took it all in. Then abruptly, he turned and walked away.

_What was he doing here? What did he mean by this?_ Kagome wondered as the shock finally subsided. And found that she had thoughtlessly taken a few steps back while retreating from Sesshou Maru so that she wasn't hiding anymore.

She gasped as she turned to see Inu Yasha and Kikyou gaping at her. She had somehow emerged from behind the tree and had been backing away from Sesshou Maru and into their direction.

"Ka—Kagome!" Inu Yasha cried, arms still frozen in Kikyou's direction. After a second, he dropped them to his sides as he hurried to her. "Wha---what---!"

Kagome could feel the blood drain from her face as a rush of mortification hit her. _This can't be happening…!_

She felt Inu Yasha's hands close down like a vice on her arms.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, his voice rising.

But Kagome was staring at Kikyou. Noting the direction of her gaze, Inu Yasha turned back to stare at Kitahara.

Kikyou continued to look on sadly. "Is she…more precious to you now?" she asked, and without another word turned and hurried away.

"Kikyou!" Inu Yasha released Kagome and made to run after Kitahara. Realizing that it was too late, he halted after taking a few strides and stared after her.

When he turned back to Kagome, his face was livid. "How much were you able to take in?" He asked, his voice barely under control.

As he moved to approach her, Kagome suddenly said, "stop right there. Don't you dare come to me."

Inu Yasha froze in his tracks, an incredulous look replacing the thunderous expression he had been wearing just a few seconds ago. "Wait. You're angry…WITH ME!"

Kagome glared at him. "I'm sorry to have to say this, but I saw _everything!"_ She cried.

Inu Yasha blinked. "Ev…everything?" He echoed.

"Everything from the beginning!"

Inu Yasha could not find anything to say to that, and after a while Kagome sighed. "Inu Yasha, just what in the world am I to you exactly?" she asked tiredly.

"Eh? Where are you going?" Inu Yasha asked as she started to walk away.

"I'm going home!" snapped Kagome. "And don't you follow me, you…you lousy two-timer!"

* * *

And that was how Sango and Miroku had found them.

"Oy, Kagome!" yelled Inu Yasha. "I'm not through with you yet!"

"Don't you dare follow me around!" hissed Kagome. "I meant what I said back there!"

She turned to Sango and closed her eyes as though she had developed a particularly nasty headache.

"I—I came because your mother called," began Sango awkwardly. "I thought you were in trouble; that's why I brought Fukuzawa along, and—"

Kagome raised her head to stare in astonishment at the sophomore. Miroku gave her a small wave.

"Oy!" sounded Inu Yasha from behind, and Kagome turned to flee. "I'll call you later!" she threw over her shoulder at Sango.

Sango and Miroku watched as the two disappeared, arguing as they went.

"Well, that's that," said Miroku. "It's been very…informative."

"Yeah," muttered Sango in disbelief.

There was a short silence before Sango lifted her head to look at Fukuzawa. "I'm sorry it turned out to be a waste of time, but—but I wish you'd keep this to yourself. I mean, there's no point in discussing this with anyone else, right?"

Miroku looked at her, his expression perfectly serious as he said, "only if you say the magic word."

And Sango erupted. "I knew it! I just knew it!" she railed as she stormed off. "I shouldn't have brought you along! What on earth was I thinking back there!"

Miroku was laughing as he caught up. "Relax, I'm just kidding!" he said as he drew level with her long strides. "And, indeed, what were you thinking in bringing me here?"

Sango eyed him with misgiving. "I just took you along because I thought there might be trouble and you were the only one who happened to be there, so don't you go concluding you're suddenly special or anything!" she said.

She turned away from him in a huff and they continued to walk side by side. For a brief moment, the swaying motion of their hands brought each into contact with the other. Sango felt the touch like she would a jolt of electricity.

"Hey! No touching!" cried Sango as she snatched her hand away.

"Sango, come on," he said in mock exasperation, "You ask me to accompany you this far and I've been good. What would it take for me to show you that you can trust me a little?"

"Oh, please." Sango rolled her eyes. "I never said I could trust you. I doubt if I ever will. Only…I think I've come to know more about you now…"

"You do?" he asked, caught off guard. "And how did this come about?"

She gave him a withering look before saying, "does that help any?"

"Does what help any?"

"Your game!" she said wearily. "You can stop it now. It's not getting you what you want, is it?"

"What are you talking about, Sango?" Miroku asked.

Sango took a breath. "I know that despite your tactics and your reputation, you've never succeeded in having an actual girlfriend before," she said.

The effect of those words was immediate. Miroku halted in mid-stride, the shocked expression on his face priceless. He stood there staring at her with wide violet eyes and his mouth hanging slightly open. It lasted only a few seconds--long enough for him to recover and to slip back into his mask, but it was a step to the right direction as far as Sango was concerned. It was about time he got his due.

The devil had chinks in his armor, after all. Sango had a feeling she would gleefully review this moment over and over in her mind for some time to come.

"That's quite an assumption," said Miroku, coolly amused. "Got any proof to back your statement?"

Sango shot back a cool, sidelong glance. "Let's just say I got that from a _very_ reliable source," she said enigmatically.

Miroku fought to keep his brows from twitching into a frown. "Like who?" he wanted to know.

"I'm not in the habit of name-dropping," she said, not quite able to stop the grin from showing on her lips.

Man, but it felt so good to have the last word for once! She felt sure she was going to win this round. There was no way he was going to wriggle out of this one!

Miroku stood there, looking at her with an inscrutable expression. Then, as if a well-trained mask fell into place, he smiled.

"I don't believe you when you said you don't trust me," he said smoothly, expertly falling back to the previous argument before the disconcerting revelation that she had been asking about him. "You wouldn't have asked me to accompany you all the way here if you didn't. It just wouldn't make sense, would it, Sango?"

She froze as he moved a bit closer. She could feel the hair rise on her nape as he said teasingly, "could it be that despite all your highly convincing declarations against me, you're finally finding me interesting?"

And she leapt away as she felt something graze her butt. But not before she realized in a split instant that that something had been his hand. And not before she had lashed at him with an open palm.

"Why you…you pervert!" She breathed, full of outrage.

She watched him touch the side of his reddened face and felt the outrage mount as he laughed—_laughed!_—and said dryly, "this is getting to be quite a habit. But do bear in mind, Sango, you haven't come close to knowing anything about me…and you can never be off your guard whenever you're with me."

She would have wanted to say plenty to that, but the sight of him laughing only made her more glaringly aware of the foolishness of bringing him here. Going ballistic was only going to make matters worse and provide him with more ammunition against her. So she did the only thing she could think of doing at a time like this. Mustering all her self-control, she kept her head high as she turned from him and walked away.

* * *

Murakami Kagura knew how it felt to be afraid, but she had to admit that in agreeing to handle and maneuver the senior Sesshou Maru, she had gone in over her head.

Especially when he was here now, obstructing her path as she prepared to go home from cheerleading practice. She could tell that he had been to the rendezvous, but the plan had not gone the way it had meant to because it was very obvious that Sesshou Maru had not gotten himself into the fray.

"What was the purpose of your telling me about that rendezvous?" He asked again. There was nothing about him to betray the fact that he was angry as hell, but Kagura could sense it.

_Mizuno Naraku…where the hell are you when you're needed?_

To judge from the quiet grounds, nobody would come running to her even if she screamed for help.

"Get out of my way," she said, her voice not quite under control, and tried to barrel her way around the still figure blocking her path. A hand shot out from nowhere and bit onto her arm, effectively preventing her from going anywhere.

Sesshou Maru watched impassively as the younger girl struggled and tried to claw her way out of his grasp, not yielding until he got both her hands trapped, until she got tired and merely stood there, panting.

Kagura felt a chill run down her spine as Sesshou Maru looked down at her, a cold smile forming on his lips as he said, "I will not be used like that. You will tell me why you have chosen to inform me of that rendezvous, and who sent you."


End file.
